Dark Prodigy
by firedancer34
Summary: Aftermath of "Devil's Eyes". Quinn learns the hard way she was focusing her attentions on the wrong Bird. With their lives shattered, can Dinah, Helena, and Barbara save themselves and each other before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

Hello all, first of all I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this. It's been awhile since I've written anything as I was the author of the massive epic Countdown to Christmas story under my previous penname redladyreba. Due to certain personal circumstances I had to come up with a new penname however *cringe* Anyway, I wrote this story awhile back...it started out with just this first chapter as a oneshot and posted it on a BirdsofPrey fanboard. It was recieved well, and I had a number of requests to continue so i turned it into a series of one shots that led into a whole storyline. I was in a pretty dark place when I originally wrote this and this was the result of some emotional outlet. So be forwarned there is some dark and sometimes disturbing content ahead. It will get a lot brighter towards the end, but you'll just have to mudle through my angst first lol.

~RB~

They took no note of her as she strolled through the corridors. To them she was nothing but a shadow…a ghost of some poor bastard that had died within these reinforced walls over the decades. Not even the cameras would record her image as she strolled past them on her journey into the most secure section of the facility.

When she reached her destination, she stood before the clear plastic cage that held her prey and watched with smug satisfaction as the blonde inside flinched when she saw her visitor. "Hello Harleen," she purred as she walked around the reinforced glass, casually dragging a finger along it.

For a moment, her prey showed a hint of her old self and the shorter blonde stood up defiantly. "Not through having your fun with me? My dear, I must say…I was definitely focusing my attention on the wrong vigilante. You have a mean streak that could rival mine. Think of all that we could accomplish together."

And then she was on the floor of her cell screaming and writhing in unseen pain. After a couple of minutes, she was finally allowed to roll to her knees and gather her composure. "Well….that was particularly brutal…." she panted shakily. "Having…a bad…night?"

Dinah cocked her head to one side and simply stared at the woman in front of her. If she could feel anything at all anymore, she supposed she would be frightened of just how much her life had changed the moment she had touched Quinn's mind. It was like a light switch had been thrown on in her brain. In the seconds that had passed while she had been linked to Quinn, a lifetime of experience and knowledge had been passed on to her.

The price of that gift had been steep however, and was a two edged sword. The sudden insight and access to all that the madwoman knew about the human brain and psyche allowed her to tap into powers she hadn't even suspected before. But it had also awoken something dark and primal within her. And she knew that if she didn't get it under control soon, it would drive her as insane as this woman before her.

But for now, she would find release in the pleasure of giving Quinn her memories back for a few brief moments each night and then brutally ripping them from her. Payback was a bitch, and no one deserved it more than this one.

"You know…you won't be able to keep this up forever Dinah. That Barbara is a smart one...she will figure you out one of these nights."

This earned her another round of mental torture. As Quinn lay shaking in the center of her cage, she rolled her head towards Dinah. "My, my……someone is walking….a fine line…tonight…."she taunted. And was rewarded with more agony.

"You'll never quit will you?" Dinah mused as she watched her victim curl up in a fetal ball.

"It's who I am little girl!" Quinn ground out once she could speak. "The real question is, who are you and what do you want with me?"

"I want you to pay for what you did to me and my family."

Quinn's eyes flashed, and Dinah realized she had said too much. "Awwwww….did one of the birdies fly the coop? Lemme guess. Helena couldn't take the guilt of how I used her and she ran-," the taunt was cut off by a high pitched scream. Which lasted for nearly ten minutes.

When Dinah released Quinn finally, the telepath was shaking in fury as she watched Quinn convulse on the floor. "I've been inside your mind Quinn and I know just how much you fear death. So before you make another smart ass remark, I should like to remind you of who is in charge here. And yes, I'm sure you'd be pleased with your…handy work. But if Helena dies because of what you did, I swear to you that you will wish you were dead before I am through with you."

Quinn lay on her floor, twitching, but she forced herself to open her eyes so she could see Dinah's when the girl made that threat. A shiver ran down her spine when she realized the teen meant every word she said. The madness that began to surface in her eyes was the same as the one she saw every day in the mirror. A part of her was jumping in absolute glee over the fact that she had permanently scarred this sweet innocent little thing into such brutal darkness. But the other half was truly frightened of what the girl could and would do to her if something happened to Helena.

"Well, I must be getting back to the hospital. Enjoy your nap until I come back," Dinah smirked before she raised a hand and with a wiggle of her fingers, stole half of Quinn's life away from her mind.

And then she simply disappeared.


	2. Fine Line

Everyone Walks a Fine Line

Alfred Pennyworth watched from a silent distance as Miss Dinah stood alone on the balcony, in yet another trance. In his decades of service to Master Bruce, he had come across many an individual with special gifts and powers. And more than a few had possessed powerful minds like young Miss Dinah.

The moment he saw the distant and glazed look in her eyes, he knew immediately that her mind was elsewhere…quite literally even. But she had managed to avoid him rather skillfully over the last two weeks, and he had not been able to pursue the matter any further. The fact that not even Miss Barbara knew what the girl was up to, coupled with Dinah's drastic change in attitude the moment she touched Quinn's mind, was enough to set off every warning bell in the butler's still sharp mind.

Normally, he wouldn't even be at the Clocktower at this late hour to be witness to an event that Miss Barbara recently admitted occurred nearly every night since the attack. But with Miss Helena in the hospital and Miss Barbara by her side - well he felt someone should be here to keep an eye on things. Most especially, Dinah herself.

He quietly moved out onto the balcony and waited until Dinah's gaze returned to normal before announcing his presence with a soft clearing of his throat. Dinah's head snapped towards him, and for the first time that he could ever remember, the once sunny teenager gave a glare that would have done Miss Helena proud.

Having been subjected to a number of powerful glares over the years, Alfred simply dismissed it and stepped forward holding out a saucer and cup filled with her favorite brew of tea. "It is a bit chilly out here this time of year and I thought you might appreciate a spot of tea to warm up while you do whatever it is you have been doing out here every night for the last two weeks."

Dinah's glare softened as she blinked at him for several long seconds and then snorted in wry amusement and shook her head with a sigh. "Anyone ever tell you that you're too damn perceptive for your own good Alfred?"

Alfred's lips quirked slightly. "I have lost count Miss Dinah." He scowled when he watched her gaze on him go suddenly sharp and felt a prickling on the fringes of his awareness. "And I will not stand for that kind of intrusion either young Miss. If you wish to know something, you only need to ask," he told her firmly.

She took a sip of her tea, seemingly unfazed by what was a strong rebuke for him. Her head tilted to the side and he felt a chill run up his spine as that gesture reminded him so much of another blonde that had recently wreaked so much havoc.

"You know," she said slightly surprised.

"That you are mind traveling? I recognized the signs, yes. But where, and to whom…well one can only guess. As I'm sure you've just found out for yourself, I have my strong suspicions," he added in as cool a tone as he could appropriately muster.

"Your demeanor has already been altered with just the one brief contact with that wretched woman Miss Dinah. I fear that it may be permanently. Don't compound your issues by furthering your pursuit of her- nothing good will come of that."

"Whatever," Dinah mumbled as she set her still full cup on the ledge and walked inside and up to her room.

Alfred stood on the balcony alone for a couple of minutes and sighed heavily. He moved over to pick up the tea and returned to the kitchen. There he busied himself for a short while with mundane tasks before he walked up to the Delphi's platform.

He looked around at the mess of wire and cables strung all over the floor and shook his head. The massive super-computer was finally up and running again, but just barely. Miss Barbara had been so distraught and distracted after that horrific night, that for once she hadn't been able to focus on much more than eating, sleeping and sitting out on the balcony.

She had only fixed it enough to accomplish the most basic of tasks. And to keep continual tabs on Arkham's security. It was yet another reminder of just how badly Harleen Quinzell had shattered their lives.

Alfred sat down in front of the single keyboard that hadn't been smashed beyond all repair during the battle, and typed away. The live feeds of Quinzell's cell came onto the small monitor that had also been spared damage and he watched as the blonde psychopath sat in the glass room curled up in a ball, her face a rictus of pain and fear.

With a few more typed commands, Alfred had access to every security measure and monitor set in place especially for Arkham's most dangerous criminal. A replay of the last couple of hours revealed an odd energy surge which shorted out all the security feeds for nearly a half hour. The same surge was present in every security log starting two weeks ago.

Sometimes they last a few minutes, but one lasted over an hour. There was no question it was Miss Dinah. What unsettled him the most however, was that he was not sure what exactly she was up to. Another look at the figure still curled up on the floor, gave him a fairly good idea.

And if Dinah was indeed slipping down that dark path, it frightened him as to what someone with her abilities could do if she slipped over the edge. Continuing any contact with Quinzell would only drive the teen into insanity. If it wasn't already too late.

As he continued to stare at the woman on the screen contemplating all that the damage she had wrought on his family, Alfred finally began to feel the long suppressed anger build up inside of him. It had been many a moon since he allowed himself the brief luxury of allowing his cool demeanor to slip, but with the overwhelming events of the night, he felt he had earned a bit of slack of one night.

His breath quickened, his jaw tightened, and his hands began to shake. His eyes tracked to the right of the screen where the list of security measures were displayed. His gaze sharpened on the last resort method and he unconsciously pulled that up.

Should Quinzell escape her cell, the entire section she was in would be sealed off immediately and a powerful gas would be released into the air. In small doses it would knock her out and leave her with a wicked hangover. At full strength however, it could kill a person in less than a minute.

And the controls were all at his very fingertips right now.

His hands trembled even more as the illogical half of him debated over the practical reasons for staging such and 'accident'. However he regained control of his emotions and as the trembling in his hands ceased, he sat back and instantly recalled that his ethics could never be compromised so terribly.

With a superior 'hmpf', the aging butler reached out and powered down the Delphi. As the screen went dark, Alfred glanced towards Dinah's room.

"We all walk a fine line at some point in our lives Dinah," he mused quietly. "You just have to be strong enough not to give in."


	3. Sundered

Sundered

For the third time in as many decades, Barbara Gordon's life had been ripped apart and trampled on by Fate. As she sat on the balcony, staring blankly out into the night, the redhead found herself once again teetering on the brink of a complete emotional breakdown.

When she had woken up in the hospital eight years ago to find out that the Joker's bullet had robbed her of the life she had once known, Barbara had simply shut down for several weeks. During that first harrowing week, it was even unclear as to whether she would survive or not since she had seemingly lost all will to live.

Once she had been given a purpose- guardianship of an equally emotionally devastated Helena Kyle- Barbara had fought valiantly to pull the shattered pieces of her life back together so she could help Helena rebuild hers. It had been a rough first year together, but they scraped through, and had developed a relationship that nothing could break.

At least that was what they had both thought.

When Barbara had spoken over the phone with Quinn that night, her analytical mind had told her that the bitch had indeed killed her boyfriend. But it wasn't until she saw his lifeless body spread out on her bed after the battle, that Barbara realized that deep down in her heart she had been desperately hoping that Quinn had just been trying to get under her skin. That the madwoman was just bluffing in an attempt to throw her off balance.

If Reese hadn't already taken Quinn off to be locked up in Arkham, Barbara knew she would have rolled right back into the main part of the Tower and murdered the woman with her bare hands. Helena walked in a couple of minutes later to find Barbara staring at the corpse cruelly lain out on the white sheets.

It wasn't until Helena had finally broken out of her own horrified stupor and had moved to cover him up that Barbara spoke. "Don't you dare touch him," she'd hissed out with so much anger and venom in her voice that Helena froze in shock.

Hurt and infinitely sad blue eyes turned her way, but Barbara had been so consumed by her rage by that point she didn't dare look at the younger woman. "Just leave," she commanded roughly.

"Barbara…I'm sor-,"

"Leave. Now."

Half a second later, the rustle of leather signaled Helena's departure. She absently heard Dinah's startled yelp and then protest as Helena fled the ruins of their home, dropping her comms next to the remains of the Delphi. It had been the last time she had seen or heard from the brunette.

What tortured Barbara the most was how torn she was in trying to decipher how she felt about that. Half of her was still furious with Helena for the recklessness that ultimately lead to the events of that disastrous night. But a deeper part of her reminded her that even she had innocent blood on her hands, and that it wasn't fair to blame Helena for what happened that night. That half wanted to desperately to go out and find the young woman, hug her tightly and tell her that she was sorry.

Barbara Gordon didn't do big emotional trips, yet here she was, spirally downward a little bit further and further into the dark pit of the emotions that she had spent a lifetime of controlling. It was frightening just how dark her thoughts had become, and she realized with startling clarity just what Bruce and Helena had battled with every day for years of their lives.

The anger still burned deep in her gut with a fire that made her want to lash out physically at anyone and anything that got too near her. Her mind had been consumed by it to the point of distracting her from being even partially productive. The Delphi still lay in a mess of wires and half rebuilt parts.

And then there was Dinah.

When Barbara saw the teen reach out to touch the psychopathic bitch, the redhead had tried to call out a warning. But she had been too late and the second the brief link ended, Barbara had sensed the change in the girl.

And then she found Dinah out on the balcony every night, staring off into blank space, and completely unreachable. The blonde refused to tell her what was going on, and Barbara was too deep into her own personal issues to fight with the girl over it. Alfred had inquire about her mental state, and Barbara had relayed her observations.

But even the potential danger to her current ward couldn't seem to snap her out of her funk, and that made her even more frustrated and angry. So here she was, once more sitting out on the balcony, body trembling as she struggled with the myriads of feelings running through her analytical mind, and trying to make sense of her life once more.

Realizing she would be getting no where tonight, she gave up after awhile and headed back inside to attempt working on the Delphi for at least another hour or two. Half an hour into working, she watched as Dinah strolled out onto the balcony that she had recently vacated and got lost in whatever she was doing.

An hour later, she finally came back in and silently moved to help Barbara in piecing the Delphi back together. The redhead found herself a bit relieved to have to silent companionship, and was able to focus enough over the next hour to get the most basic of the Delphi's monitoring programs to work.

The first hint of a smile that had touched her lips in two weeks quickly faded when Alfred appeared in the main room, his normally unflappable appearance, replaced by a grim look. Barbara sat up straight in her chair as she felt Dinah stiffen next to her.

"Alfred. I thought you had gone back to the Manor for the night."

"I'm afraid an emergency has come up Miss Barbara and we are all needed at Wayne Tower immediately," he said as calmly as he could muster.

Barbara's brows furrowed in confusion. "Wayne Tower? What kind of emergency would require us at this-?"

Dinah cut her off, her voice completely flat. "Helena."

Alfred scowled slightly but nodded. "Miss Dinah is correct. There was an…incident and she is being treated by the staff there as we speak. Dr. Thompson is already on her way, but I think it's best we do not waste any further time."

Barbara however, found herself frozen in place. Dear god no, she thought wildly. This can't be happening. She knew more than anyone else in the room that Helena had her physical limits. And if she wanted to push past them on purpose….well Wayne Tower was the only building in town to do just that. And her final words to Helena rang over and over in her head.

"She tried to jump…didn't she?" she finally managed to ask in a choked whisper.

Alfred's troubled look was all she needed in answer.

The redhead felt all the blood drain from her face as she dropped her head into her hands. "And I was right there pushing her," she said in a bare whisper that Dinah only caught on a telepathic level.

Alfred's hands resting gently on her shoulders finally brought Barbara out of her shocked daze. "Miss Barbara, I realize this is yet another devastating blow to your already fragile state. But I was informed that while Miss Helena lives, the situation is dire. We need to leave, now."

"Of course," Barbara said weakly, and then steered herself towards the elevator.

During the drive to the hospital, Barbara wondered if this was what it had been like for her Helena and her father all those years ago when she had been shot and Selina killed. It was yet another insight into the nightmares that her former mentor and protégé both dealt with on a daily basis.

Nightmares that would haunt her for the rest of her life now as well.


	4. Darkest Hour

Helena Kyle took her last look around at the city she had once tried to protect and then focused on what had once been her home for so many years. Through the silent tears that occasionally streaked down her bruised and gaunt features, she could just make out the tiny speck that sat out on the balcony as it had every night since Quinn's attack.

Two weeks.

Two weeks had drug by since that night, the days and nights blending together in a constant nightmare that no amount of drugs, alcohol, or pain could chase away. Desperate to forget just how badly she had fucked up and hurt the only ones she loved, Helena had tried everything. Last night, when she had willingly allowed herself to be beaten within an inch of her life, and lay there in that dark, rank ally, she realized only one thing was going to release her from the torment that Quinn had trapped her in.

Helena snorted in disgust. Quinn was trapped for life in a plastic cage, her memory wiped by a girl that had lost her innocence the moment she had touched that warped mind. The psychopath would have cackled in maniacal glee had she know just how much damage she had wrought on her enemy. Quinn may have lost the battle, but it seemed the Birds had lost the war.

That night, their family had been ripped apart in a way that could never be mended. And it was all her fault.

Helena viciously scrubbed at the tears, reminding herself that she didn't deserve the luxury of feeling pain and crying. She shoved her battered hands deep inside of her pockets, and clenched the small packet of letters she had there. She didn't know what had possessed her to include one to her father and to Dick, but it had been an emotionally weak moment she supposed.

Keeping her hands firmly at her sides, Helena took one last longing look at the tiny speck in the distance, and then stepped to the edge of the spire atop Wayne Tower. She stood there for several moments more looking down at the streets far below before turning her head towards the shadows to her left.

"Picked a helluva time to come back dad," she said hoarsely.

The shadows shifted and her father stepped forward. "Please don't do this Helena," he said quietly. His face was as emotionless as always, but there was genuine concern in his voice and eyes.

She looked away, closing her own eyes as she swallowed past the lump in her throat. "You shouldn't be here."

"I know the pain you are feeling right now. But this won't solve anything Helena. Please," he asked gently as he shifted slightly closer and held out his hand.

Helena's eyes flashed angrily as she spun to face him. "Leaving didn't solve anything either, did it?" she snapped. "You abandoned us when we needed you the most, and I GET why you did it. But you want to know what hurts the most? Not once did you try to contact us. I KNOW Alfred was in contact with you, but you kept us out of your life and all you accomplished was hurting all of us even more. That was worse than my own mother dying," she spat at him, her eyes going completely feral.

The hand that had been outstretched dropped in resignation, and eyes so much like her own, looked away in old pain. "I won't do that to her," Helena said harshly. "That bitch broke Barbara because of me. I failed the one person that reached out to me when everything in my life had been ripped away. She sits out on that balcony every night, torn between loathing me and everything that I allowed happen, and wondering if I'm still around and safe. I don't deserve that kind of concern, and she doesn't deserve to go through that kind of emotional torture again."

Helena shifted backwards, her heels hanging over the ledge. She pulled the letters out and threw them at his feet. "I suggest you take those and go," she told him flatly.

Bruce Wayne looked down at the letters and then arched an eyebrow when he saw one addressed to both he and Dick. Slowly he bent down and picked it up, absently noting how much Helena's writing was like her mother's. And suddenly it really hit him.

Helena wasn't just another lost person he was trying to talk down. She was his and Selina's daughter. Like him, she had given her heart and soul to protect this city in his absence and it had ripped both from her in repayment. And right now, she had far more courage than he did almost a decade ago when he was in this exact spot contemplating the very same decision.

"I'm not giving up this time," he told her firmly.

He expected some kind of comeback, a goodbye, a curse…something. But her eyes had gone so dead after her angry rant, that not even they had given him any kind of warning. She just….fell.

"HELENA NOOOO!!!!!!" He shouted as he leapt over the edge without a second thought. He wasn't in costume, but he had had enough sense to don his utility belt and harness under the dark clothes he had on.

He watched as she fought her natural instincts and slam into a lower spire, knocking her unconscious. He grimaced as the impact broke bones, and the sharp stonework ripped into flesh, before she continued her plummet to the rapidly approaching street below.

The only thing he had to be thankful of, was the fact that her encounter with the spire gave him the precious two seconds he needed to catch up with her. Calling on every bit of skill and strength his aging body still possessed, he narrowly missed the spire himself, caught her limp figure as it bounced off the edge and pulled her to him as he fired his grappling hook.

The jolt nearly tore his arm out of it's socket, and he grit his teeth as he and his daughter slammed hard into the side of his building and spun wildly for several second before he managed to plant his feet against the wall and they skidded sideways a few more feet.

He hung there for nearly a minute, breathing harshly as he tried to get his heart and mind back under control. It had been so long….

The familiar cold mask finally seemed to descend over him and he swiftly got them both to the ground. He did a quick check and swallowed hard as he realized Helena wasn't breathing and her heart had stopped. He pulled his phone out.

"Marcus please tell me you are still at work."

"Bruce?"

"Marcus are you inside the building?"

"Well….yes…but…"

"Get the med team out to the alley behind exit fifteen now."

"Sir?"

"Damnit Marcus just get them out here!" He shouted, losing his control as he slammed the phone shut and began CPR.

Two minutes later, half a dozen of his employees poured out of the door, Marcus Benton right on their heels. Everyone stared at him in shock, and then they remembered there was a patient to attend to. Marcus reached out and drew Bruce back as they went to work on his daughter. "Bruce…is that…Helena?"

The younger man had been made privy to Helena's existence when Bruce had placed him in charge of Wayne Enterprises and had set up the various trust funds for his extended family members. But in all these years, Marcus had never met the young woman since she had not once touched anything that had her father had set up for her. Having Bruce show up like this was enough of a shock, but to have them both here like this….it was a bit overwhelming even for him.

"Yes," was the quiet and grave answer.

"Dear god, what happened to her?"

"She jumped," Bruce whispered hoarsely.

Marcus's moment of near panic finally passed however and he snapped to full alertness. After all, Bruce Wayne hadn't been a fool when he'd chosen Marcus to fill in during his absence. Recalling everything he'd been briefed on in case a medical emergency with Helena should arise, he pulled his phone out and hit a preset number. "Dr. Thomspon? Yes it's Marcus Benton. Yes I know I'm overdue for my company physical and I hate to interrupt my impending lecture, but we have a rather pressing situation at the Tower that needs your…special attention." Marcus paused.

"Leslie, I wouldn't bother you at this time of the evening for something as trivial as that," he sighed impatiently. "It's Helena and she's seriously injured. You need to get down here right away." Another pause. "Yes….it appears she did. Please hurry Leslie, my team will do what they can for her until you arrive."

Bruce watched numbly as the medical team loaded Helena onto a gurney that had been brought and continued to work on her as they prepared her to be moved inside. To their credit, the team worked quickly, and efficiently, and Helena was inside and upstairs in a matter of minutes.

Marcus pressed a damp towel into his hands, and Bruce looked down to see blood covering both his hands and clothing. "I called Alfred. He is heading over to Barbara's right now to pick her up. Given rumors of recent events, I felt it would be best if he informed her and drove them down here. Thankfully, Leslie was just closing up her clinic which is only a few miles from here. She should be up momentarily."

Bruce just nodded.

Leslie arrived ten minutes after the call, and merely blinked once in her surprise to see Bruce before diving into the fray and taking control. The medical teamed deferred readily to her command, realizing she had better knowledge and familiarity of their unique patient. The room was quickly being transformed to an operating room, and the staff was scurrying about to prepare for surgery.

Leslie finally broke away from the group and pulled Bruce out into the hallway just as Alfred arrived with Barbara and Dinah. Barbara looked at the amount of blood still covering Bruce and swallowed hard, her jaw trembling with barely concealed emotion. "Bruce?"

Finally faced with his former partner and protégé since her paralysis, Bruce suddenly found himself unable to speak. Leslie spared him for the moment, and knelt next to her old friend and pulled her into a fierce hug. "I'm going to do everything I can to save her sweetheart. That cat still has a few more lives left in her and I'll be damned if I let her check out early like this."

"She actually jumped?" Dinah asked, her face devoid of almost all emotion.

It was the first time Bruce had really noticed the girl, and what he saw, chilled him to the bone. There was nothing of the sunny disposition Alfred had described to him. Now there was only, a cold and haunted look. And a tinge of something that almost looked like madness on the fringes of those icy blue eyes. Obviously her encounter with Quinn had scarred the girl badly…perhaps even for life.

Bruce nodded slowly looking back at Barbara and Alfred. "I tried to stop her….but she hit one of the spires before I could catch her."

Leslie rattled of the number of injuries that they were aware of, knowing Barbara would want to hear the cold hard facts. Fifteen broken bones, a shattered collarbone, dislocated left shoulder, lacerated kidney, massive cerebral bruising and swelling, three fractured discs in her spine, a punctured lung, and bone fragments all over.

"She's pushed her body past it's healing capabilities this time. The medical team was able to rescucitate her before I got here, but it's been touch and go several times since," Leslie admitted. "My surgical team will be here shortly, and with Bruce's own team, we should be able to repair most of the damage."

"Most?"

"We won't know how badly the damage to her spine or brain will be until she wakes up."

"If she wakes up at all." Dinah added flatly into the silence.

"Dinah!" Barbara gasped.

Dinah continued to stare at the doctor who finally sighed and looked at the ground. "That's awfully rude of you in this situation young lady," she reprimanded even as she admitted to what Dinah had said out loud for her.

"Despite Bruce's efforts to save her, the blow to her head was severe. She's in a coma right now and completely unresponsive. Her body is barely even able to keep its normal autonomous responses like breathing on it's own. We are most likely going to have to place her on a respirator. But since the subject has been brought up," Leslie said with a hard look to the teen who simply shrugged indifferently.

"I need to know at what point do you want me to stop?"

Barbara lost it at that point. She stared at the floor, her features going pale in shock, and dropped her head into her hands as tears formed in her eyes. "This can't be happening," she whispered, as Alfred moved forward to rest his hands on her shoulders in comfort.

Bruce empathized with her completely, and could see that even Alfred was struggling mightily to keep his own composure. "Do whatever it takes to keep her alive Leslie," he answered tightly. "We won't make any decisions like that until there are no other alternatives left."

"As you wish. I should continue preparing my patient and we need to keep that room sterile so I am going to have to ask you all to remain out here from now on."

With that, the older woman pushed back through the large doors and left the small group in apprehensive silence. Dinah finally muttered something about needing air and left. Alfred was looking expectantly at him, and swallowing hard, Bruce knelt down next to Barbara.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as she allowed him to gather her into a hug for the first time in her life. "I tried to stop her. But I was too late."

"I can't do this again Bruce. I can't lose her too," she wept as her finger left bruises in his arms.

"We won't," he said, knowing he would do everything in his power to fulfill that one promise.


	5. Ever Downward Spiral

Dinah's focus on the cue ball was only cursory, but as she sent it careening towards the eight ball, it struck true and sank the black ball in the chosen corner pocket. She was of course playing by herself. Everyone had learned weeks ago that it was impossible to beat her…even if she didn't use a cue stick. Not that she minded right now anyway. It was simply a menial task to try and distract her constantly working mind.

For the millionth time, the blonde teen cursed Quinn passionately under her breath. The table began to shake under her hands and she closed her eyes and slowly released her breath as she forced her mind to calm. God damned fucking bitch.

She felt Gibson move up next to her and immediately read his apprehension. She winced at the overload of information that assaulted her mind the moment he neared and immediately moved away from him. "Yeah, it's school night, but I really don't give a shit about it right now. So why don't you go talk to someone that cares and leave me alone," she snapped in irritation.

Gibson jumped, a wounded look in his eyes. He opened his mouth, but she cut him off again as she spun to face him, her blue eyes crackling with energy. "I don't want or need your pity. And if you really were a friend then you would know that now is DEFINITELY NOT a good time to piss me off. So back off," she growled in a voice that would have made Huntress proud.

Then, without waiting to see if he would listen to her, she spun and pushed her way through the crowd towards the back of the underground bar. She snagged someone's drink with her mind while they weren't watching and quickly shot it down before anyone noticed and left the empty glass on a table as she passed by it.

The alcohol burned on its way down, but it thankfully began to act quickly in her system and began to numb some of the background 'chatter' that was always cluttering her mind now. But she knew it would only last for a short while.

Dinah sank into the back corner booth and dropped her head into her hands, wishing she could just tune it all out for five minutes. The meld with Quinn had opened her mind to it's full potential in a matter of moments, thereby trapping Dinah in a hell of constant 'noise' that no one could ever imagine.

Every second of every day, she had thousands of voices ricocheting around the inside of her mind. One night she finally needed to escape it and took the Hummer without permission and drove as far out of town as the tank of gas would get her. Fifty miles out of town, surrounded by nothing but countryside and a smattering of estates and farms, the mental noise had finally faded to a manageable murmur. But it still didn't disappear completely.

Alfred, damn his efficiency, had discreetly removed all the alcohol from the apartment the moment he noticed that she had been dipping into the stores. Barbara was so wrapped up in her anger and grief that she hadn't noticed, and Alfred never said anything. But she knew he was concerned that she would take her means of escapism to the next level.

Tonight, feeling herself on the verge of another breakdown Dinah decided it was a good night to see just what a few other 'medicinal properties' might do in calming the voices inside her head. With Helena laying in a coma for the past week, the prognosis of a full recovery still grim, Dinah decided she deserved a break from dealing with everything as well.

Besides, it wasn't like Barbara and Helena hadn't toyed with drugs before themselves. Helena had tried just about everything she had been able to get her hands on, curious to see how her metabolism would handle it and desperate for a few moments of escaping the pain of her mother's murder.

Barbara's dirty little secret was unknown to even Helena. The redhead had been so lost, devastated, and overwhelmed during that first rough year with Helena that she had often resorted to her pain medication to cope. She had managed to wring prescriptions of morphine out of her doctors well after the actual physical pain had faded. Every single injection had been used in the wee hours of the morning to wipe out the mental torture of the nightmares that had plagued her sleep nearly every night.

Not that Dinah blamed her. The teen had known that the experience of being shot by the Joker had obviously been horrific. But she'd had no idea just how traumatic it all was until her mental awakening. Not even Helena was aware of everything that monster had done to Barbara as she'd lain there, bleeding out, and completely helpless to stop anything.

It made Dinah want to visit that sick bastard in his padded cell and give him a taste of his own medicine as well. Maybe the next time she would, she mused as she looked around the room, filtering through the minds that were cluttering hers as she sought what she was looking for.

Ah. There you are.

Dinah caught the eye of a scantily clad young woman that was sitting by the bar and nodded to the empty seat across from her. The woman quirked an eyebrow. _Why should I? _rang clearly in Dinah's mind.

_Because I can make it well worth your while, _Dinah thought back at her. She smirked as the other blonde blinked and then frowned. She finally picked up her drink and walked over to Dinah's corner.

"Well, you got my attention. What exactly is it you want kid?"

"I hear you are in the market for…supplies," Dinah said quietly.

She scowled. "And where did you hear that?" she asked anxiously as she looked around.

"Please….I'm a telepath," Dinah snorted, feeling that the blonde was about to deny Dinah's claim.

The older woman raked a gaze over Dinah and shook her head. "You're Gordon's kid…and Kyle's kid sister. You are asking for me to commit suicide. No deal."

"Kyle can't touch you since I know for a fact that you still sell to her on occasion. And Barbara is a little too distracted right now to even notice. Name your price."

The blonde fixed Dinah with a long hard look, saying nothing out loud. _What do you want?_

_Whatever you can get me. Money is not an issu_e.

_You probably haven't even sniffed pot before. I ain't gonna risk getting you killed your first trip cuz you couldn't handle the shit I can get you. You bring me a coupla hundred and I'll get you started. And don't ask me about this here any more. Gibson likes to run a clean establishment and I respect that. I don't run deals here._

_Fine, meet me in the alley behind the Dark Horse Bar in two hours and I'll have the money._

_Wow…a little desperate tonight? _She thought as she smirked slightly. The smirk quickly disappeared wen she felt invisible hands yank her closer to Dinah.

_Trust me, you don't want to push me right now._ The low, dangerous tone echoed in her mind and the older woman paled slightly.

"Alright, alright," she huffed as she tried to sit back. Dinah relaxed he grip on her.

"We have a deal?" she asked as her eyes began drifting around the room once more.

"Two hours. If you aren't there however, I will bail. That's a shitty part of town and I won't hang out there for a noob like you."

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."

The older woman nodded, then headed back to the bar to finish up another round before she took off. Dinah lingered for another hour and then made a silent exit.

Half a dozen people left No Man's that night wondering where they had lost some of their money, but chalked it up to forgetfulness or being slightly inebriated.


	6. Withered

_Why can't I see anything?_

After three weeks of sitting by Helena's bedside day and night, hoping for her to wake up, Barbara Gordon was rendered silent. Heart hammering in a chest that tightened with extreme emotions, the redhead looked frantically towards Leslie who was already descending upon her waking patient with a penlight in hand.

Lost in a hauntingly familiar flashback of her own traumatic awakening after her shooting - '_why can't I feel my legs?_'- all Barbara could do was watch as Leslie spoke in reassuring tones to Helena as everyone watched tensely.

After ordering for some immediate tests and scans to be run, Leslie sighed and put her light away. "I was afraid of this, but I didn't want to say anything to you until I knew for certain," she told the small group that had crowded into Helena's room upon learning that she was regaining consciousness.

"What's wrong with my eyes?" Helena asked tersely, her voice rough from strong emotions and disuse.

"Helena, your fall caused a great deal of damage to your body, and a considerable amount of that to your head. There was massive swelling in your brain and that created a tremendous amount of pressure on the optical nerves. You pushed your body past it's recuperative abilities and it was touch and go the first week. Your meta genes have only just begun to reassert themselves, but you are still extremely weak, and things are going to progress considerably slower than you are used to."

"So… I'm blind?" Helena asked flatly.

Barbara felt her heart drop with that question.

"For the time being," Leslie admitted. "The damage may not be permanent however, and when your meta half kicks in fully, the damage could be reversed," she added, her voice hopeful. "That's why I want to have some tests run on you, and I will be monitoring your condition over the next few days, because that will tell me more as your system reasserts itself."

Helena sank back into her pillows, blindly staring at the ceiling as she tried to digest the news. Barbara finally found her wits, and reached out an empathetic hand. If anyone in this room could understand what Hel was going through right now, it was her.

"How long have I been out?"

"Three weeks," Leslie answered.

There was more silence and then Helena pulled her hand away. "I'd like to be alone," she said finally, her expressive blue eyes closing as her wan and pale features went blank. Barbara swallowed back the hurt, remembering all the overwhelming emotions that had hit her after her own tragic news. Helena needed time, and she would damn well make sure she got at least that.

Her eyes caught everyone else's in the room and she nodded towards the door, moving in that direction herself. Leslie was the only one who stayed behind and Barbara figured that she wanted to speak with Helena privately. The redhead knew why, and wished she could stay in the room to hear the impending conversation. But Helena was so fragile right now emotionally, she realized that pushing for too much now would only do more harm than help.

With an inward sigh, Barbara rolled out of the room and headed straight for the coffee maker.

Leslie sat on the edge of Helena's bed, and poured the young woman a cup of water and placed a straw in it and pushed it into her least injured hand. She waited for Helena to accept it and coached her to sip it gently at first. When the brunette had finished the small cup of water and held t back out, the older woman set it aside and took off her glasses.

"Helena, I know you have just woken up," she began gently. "But we need to talk."

Helena rolled her head away from Leslie, tears forming in blank blue eyes. "I don't want to talk about it Doc."

"Helena, if you don't talk to me about it then I will be forced by law to have Psych come down here. And I know that is the _last _thing you want after what you ladies just went through with Quinn," she said sympathetically. She watched as Helena winced when Quinn's name was spoken out loud and knew that the madwoman had done far more damage to these three woman than anyone could have ever imagined.

The doctor feared that Dinah was on the verge of sanity herself, but she had to focus on the most critical patient right now. "Helena, you need to talk about why you tried to kill yourself. Not right now," she added quickly seeing Helena's face go tight. "You are dealing with a lot right now, and I know that we simply need to take one day at a time.

"But soon, you and I are going to have to sit down and talk about all of this. And I know you well enough hellcat to have a pretty good idea as to what's going on inside that head of yours. So _when_ we do sit down and have this talk, I expect you to be honest with me. I'm too old and treated far too many of your injuries to have you bullshit me…deal?"

Helena nodded silently, a single tear escaping. She finally cleared her throat. "Yeah…deal," she said just barely loud enough for Leslie to hear. But it was enough for the older woman who patted Helena's arm gently and then stood.

She pressed a button into Helena's hand. "I've got you hooked up to some wicked painkillers since your system can handle it. But there is a limit to how much I'm allowing you to administer by yourself. If you're still in pain, then push the call button on the bed and either I or one of my staff will take care of it."

Helena nodded one and remained silent. Leslie picked up her chart and moved to the door, she turned back and looked at the broken young woman before her. The brunette was a shadow of the vibrant young hellcat she had come to know and patch up on a frequent basis. She wondered if any of the three brave women would fully recover from this trauma.

Bruce watched from a distance as Barbara rolled up to the coffee machine and just sat there staring at it her eyes distant and haunted looking. "So, are you ever going to go over there and actually _talk to her?" Dick asked tightly from behind him._

_Aside from those first few emotionally devastating hours after Helena went into surgery, Bruce had withdrawn from everyone once more. Oh he had been vigilantly present almost as much as Barbara had been. But he had hardly spoken to anyone outside of the medical staff and had pointedly been avoiding being in the same room for any length of time with Dick or Barbara._

_Bruce looked back, his blue eyes glinting in warning. But Dick had grown a lot stronger over the years, and wasn't about to back down. "It's been three weeks Bruce. There have been dozens of opportunities for you to go over to her and talk. I mean the least you could do is apologize."_

"_Apologize? For what?" _

_Dick's eyes bugged out. "For what?!" he asked his voice raising. Everyone's gazes swung their way, but Dick was too angry to care. "Jesus Christ, are you really that emotionally dense?!" he asked in utter disbelief. "I mean Barbara is shot and paralyzed by that bastard and when she needs you the most you just disappear. You left knowing damn well that she was also put in charge of a volatile girl that was YOUR daughter. She barely crawled out of the hole the Joker put her in and she had to do it with YOUR baggage. And now you stand there asking why you should apolo-."_

_Dick never finished the sentence because something slammed into the back of his legs knocking him off his feet. He hit the floor hard and went to roll to his feet when an escrima stick was planted firmly, and painfully against his throat. He looked up to see a livid looking Barbara leaning over in her chair, her jaw tight._

"_Don't you EVER refer to Helena as baggage again!" she growled out._

_Dinah and Alfred stood off to one side, watching the scene as it unfolded. Dinah was smirking, clearly reading all the emotional turmoil that was about to be unleashed. Alfred tried to look calm and unruffled, though inside he was cheering on both Master Dick and Miss Barbara. It was high time some one said something to Master Bruce about his appalling lack of social skills around Miss Barbara. And Miss Barbara's scolding to Master Dick was long overdue. _

"_Helena only disliked you because she saw you as a threat Dick. She had lost everything in her world that night and from the moment you heard that I was named as her guardian, you were constantly trying to get me to pawn her off to the system like she wasn't even a person. It hurt me that you thought I couldn't handle that, and it hurt me even more that you of all people would be so calloused to someone who was in the same situation you were."_

_Dick closed his eyes in shame knowing she was right. "Helena hated you because she was afraid of you. She knew you were quite possibly the one person in my life that I might listen to, and it scared the hell out of her that I might leave her too because you had influenced me to do so. Frankly, I don't blame Helena one bit for how she feels about you…both of you," she added, flashing emerald eyes taking in Bruce who went stiff._

_She pulled the escrima away from Dick's throat, retracted it and slipped it back into it's hidden holster. The fire never left her eyes as she looked back up at Bruce. "At first, I thought you had no idea that Helena was your daughter. But when I found out that you knew…." her voice shook with rage and she shook her head. _

"_I have held my tongue these past few weeks Bruce, but I can't anymore. How dare you leave her like that. After everything you have done and been through. You have been a fucking hero to this whole god-damned city, and yet you take the cowards way out when it becomes personal," she hissed at him, mindful of the audience they had attracted, despite the fury that had suddenly unleashed within her._

_She felt a certain amount of satisfaction when he visibly winced at her words. "You used to berate Dick and I for our relationship. You said it would make us weak…vulnerable. Well you know what Bruce? Loving someone and being willing to risk everything for that person makes you stronger, not weaker."_

_She paused taking in both men and raised her chin. "Helena is an intelligent, beautiful, talented, strong, and loyal young woman. I had already had the chance to see that before her mother was killed and that was why I willingly accepted responsibility for her. You both blew the chance to realize that, and that's why I stopped trying to defend either of you to her long ago. _

"_That amazing young woman in there is the only reason why I am the person I am today. She is the one who helped me pull through the darkest days of my life. You both screwed up, and you are going to have to work damn hard if you want to fix things with Helena and I."_

_Dick was on his feet by now, and both men were unable to look at her in the eye. "Barbara…I'm sorry," Dick began._

"_Sorry isn't going to cut it this time Dick," she told him, some of the anger leaving her rigid body. "You both hurt us far deeper than you will ever know and it's going to take some time before either of us can forgive you both for what you did."_

_Bruce had remained silent during Barbara's entire rant, knowing full well that neither he nor Dick had any excuse or rebuttal. She was right- he had taken the coward's way out and had tried to rationalize all these years that he had just been doing what was best for Barbara and Helena. But he had never really been able to convince himself of that._

_And that was why he had come back to New Gotham when he had heard from Alfred of what Quinn had done to their family. In a way…he was no better off than the Joker or Harley. And the thought that he had become just like the people he had spent decades fighting, sickened the former super-hero severely._

_Swallowing against the bile that had risen in his throat, Bruce finally looked down at his former protégé. His normally icy blue eyes were filled with genuine remorse. "What do you want from us Barbara?" he asked hoarsely._

_Barbara was quiet for awhile as she looked down at her hands, trying to ignore the way that her palms could feel her legs, but her legs couldn't sense her hands. "Time…and some peace. Helena is awake and out of danger now. But even if this is only temporary, it's still frightening and overwhelming. She is going to go through some extreme emotions over the next few weeks and you two are the last people that she should be around in her current state of mind," Barbara said looking up at them._

"_Give us a couple of months to get through the worst, and then we can figure out where to go from there," she finished, feeling more confident with her decision. Besides, she hated to admit it, but she herself was emotionally fragile and she honestly didn't know if she could handle having Bruce around for much longer without having another meltdown. _

_Not with Dick hanging around. Not with Dinah slipping more and more over the edge of sanity. And most certainly not while trying to deal with a suicidal, traumatized Helena Kyle. She needed to be able to focus on her family, and she couldn't do that with either of the men around. _

_Dick looked hurt, but Bruce nodded in understanding and acceptance. But Barbara fixed him with a hard look. "You cant just pop into someone's life and then disappear again either. I expect you to be in contact with us in a couple of months Bruce. Prove to me that you are at least half the man you used to be."_

_There was another surge of satisfaction when she saw his jaw tighten at the jab, and absently wondered where that particularly ugly mean streak had come from. Then both men nodded and without another words headed out of the hospital._

_Barbara sagged into her chair as soon as they left the wing, and Dinah nodded in approval. "About damn time," she muttered._

_Barbara snorted as she rubbed her eyes tiredly and watched as Leslie came out of the room. He gaze flicked over to try and gauge Alfred's reaction to her rare emotional outburst. "Alfred?"_

"_Indeed," was all he said. It was all that needed to be said at that moment._


	7. Loathing

Leslie Thompson watched as the brunette pushed herself through her therapy, silently enduring the pain she had to have been feeling. Helena's healing factor had finally kicked in as soon as she had woken up, and her numerous broken bones had begun to mend. She would still carry a number of scars however, and her hair would take some time to grow back fully after they'd been forced to cut it short during her surgery.

If her therapy was anything to go by, Helena had also lost some strength and movement in her left shoulder that would probably not be fully regained. And she was still blind. It had been two weeks and the brunette had yet to even see a hint of light. The longer she went, the less her chances of recovery were, but Leslie was never one to rule out miracles.

But of all her devastating injuries, it was Helena's emotional state that Leslie worried about the most. The younger woman had barely spoken to anyone over the last couple of weeks. She spoke only when spoken to, refused to speak about her suicide attempt or what lead up to it with anyone, and followed any order given to her without question. Which often lead to her overdoing it during therapy because she refused to speak up when the pain became too bad.

Frank had been struggling over the past week, trying to find a balance with her since he knew she was much further along than most other patients would be, but she never gave him anything to judge what her limits were. Even Leslie herself had been struggling as to what to do.

She was no psychologist, but Helena desperately needed to talk about this and there was no one that either she or her family trusted enough. So that left her, and she'd been debating as to how to tackle Helena's self imposed emotional isolation. She'd finally consulted a trusted friend about her dilemma, using a hypothetical patient of course, and was given helpful and simple solution.

Helena was never one to dance around subjects- her MO had been to tackle everything head-on. Leslie just needed to essentially drag the younger woman to her office and be blunt and to the point. It was a conversation that she was loathe to go through, but it was high time, and the older woman silently chided herself for being slightly chicken about delaying the inevitable.

Really. After all the people she'd patched up in her career and after all she'd been through and been witness to, she really was too old to be acting like a first year med student on his first day of rotations. Looking at the brunette she realized for the first time that there would most likely be no shouting or angry words coming forth from her normal sharp tongue.

The slump of defeated shoulders, the haunted and trapped look that seemed to be etched on her face. It all bespoke of a spirit broken. Maybe that was why she was so nervous. She wasn't dealing with same young woman anymore.

Pushing open the doors, she smiled at everyone. "How are things progressing with our star patient Frank?"

He grunted. "She's got the exercises down and her natural agility allows her to get around just fine even without her sight. Barbara here is a quick study too, and I know she'll keep on top of Helena's PT. I think all in all Doc, there's not much more I can do here now."

"Excellent! And thank you once more for your discretion on this matter."

"Gotta take care of our own Doc," Frank said with a knowing grin as his eyes flashed red for a few moments in a brief display of his meta-genetics.

"Well, do you two think I could steal Helena away for awhile?"

"Sure thing," Frank said with a knowing look.

"Absolutely," Barbara responded as well.

"Great. Helena, would you care to join me for some coffee and donuts?"

"Ok," was the resigned reply.

She watched as Barbara struggled to mask the pain in her eyes, and kept up her cheery smile. "Excellent," was all she said as she waited for the brunette to stand and unfold her cane. She held her arm out, allowing Helena to find her on her own before she guided her towards her office.

Once inside, she verbally steered the younger woman towards a chair and then served them both up some rich coffee from her own brewer with a small plate of donuts. Helena accepted the pastry with a murmur of thanks and nibbled on it as she sipped on the hot coffee.

"So is this where you pick my brains apart?" she finally asked into the silence.

"There is no need to pick your brain Hel. I know why you did what you did and so does everyone else. Hell….I'm surprised it took this long before one of you finally cracked under the pressure and just wanted to escape it all," Leslie admitted as she swallowed a bite of her own donut.

"Frankly, I don't know how any of you do this. You have all been through one tragedy after another and then go out there on a nightly basis and deal with the worst that humanity has to offer, only to be repaid with more tragedy. I understand why Hel, but you need to come to terms with the fact that things can get better."

"Well they certainly can't get any worse now can they?" she replied with heavy sarcasm.

Leslie snorted humorlessly. "Careful what you say there Hel. Someone is always lurking in a dark corner hoping to prove that statement wrong."

"This isn't anything like my last set of sessions."

"First of all, we both know I'm no psychiatrist, but you're stuck with me because I'm sure as hell not going to entrust your fragile state of mind to anyone else right now. And if you dare compare me to that psychopathic bitch again, blind or not, I will come around this desk and kick your ass," she threatened with a tiny hint of steel in her voice.

Helena smirked, and Leslie grinned, having gotten the result she had been aiming for- some of that old spirit back. Even if it did only last for a second. "I want to release you Hel, but first you need to walk me through what lead up to you jumping so we can figure out how to get things better again."

"I thought you said you understood," Helena asked, suddenly seeming to shrink in her chair at the thought of having to emotionally open up to someone again.

"I do. But I think the most important thing here is that _you_ understand. We have this nasty tendency to think and think ourselves around in circles and it isn't until we verbalize how we feel, that things finally start to make sense."

"Fuck."

Leslie was hard pressed not to chuckle. "Take your time," was all she said.

She watched as Helena bent her head, and stared blankly at the floor for several long minutes. "There's not really much to say Doc. For me it wasn't that complicated," she told Leslie quietly.

When she looked back up, her blue eyes were full of a deep sadness and emotional anguish. "In this business, you can't afford to fuck up. Everything that Barbara and I had fought about happened because I didn't listen to her. Because of me, a lot of innocent people were hurt or killed that night. But worst of all, I almost killed the one person that means the most to me, and I stood by and did nothing when Harley stabbed her boyfriend in the heart."

Leslie sat back in her plush chair and processed this new bit of information. "So you do remember what happened that night," she remarked, realizing that this was the heart of Helena's emotional turmoil.

The brunette had told Barbara that she hadn't recalled what had happened to her while she had been under Quinn's control. Faced with everything that she had witnessed and been forced to do, it was no wonder that she had claimed ignorance. Leslie couldn't even begin to imagine how damaging it must have been to have been in Helena's position that night.

"Yeah," Helena whispered. "I remember every fucking moment, and I hate myself for not being strong enough to fight her. She made me do and watch things that I will never forgive myself for… I can't even imagine what Barbara would say if she knew. She'd hate me even more than she already does."

Leslie's eyebrow hiked up in surprise. "Why do you think Barbara hates you?"

"I saw it in her eyes that night Doc," Helena told Leslie, her voice cracking. She swallowed and forced herself to go on. "When she went into her room and found Wade, she looked at me with so much loathing and disgust, that I knew there was no forgiveness this time. Harley almost got her to cross the line that night, but in her room, I realized that I was the one responsible for breaking her."

Leslie waited as Helena fell silent for a minute, searching for words. "That's why I jumped," she finally said in a bare whisper. "I'd betrayed and hurt Barbara so badly, that in that moment, she hated me. But being Barbara, she agonized over that, and I'm not worth that kind of emotional torture. She deserved to be free of me and I can't live without her. The solution was simple: take myself out of the equation….permanently."

"Helena, have you given any thought as to what exactly motivates Barbara to be here every day for hours on end since you were admitted?"

"You and I both know Barbara takes the weight of the world on her shoulders. If anything goes wrong, she feels like she has to blame herself for it. And once again, she's blaming herself for my fuck-up and feels like she has to be here to try and fix things," Helena answered with self loathing.

"I see. Has it even occurred to you that she doesn't hate you like you have assumed, and that she's here because she cares for you and wants to be here for you?"

Helena swallowed and shook her head. "You didn't see the look in her eyes that night Doc."

"True, I didn't," Leslie allowed. "But I think that the two of you need to sit down and talk, before you are going to be able to heal from this Helena. I can't divulge anything confidential, but I will say this: Yes Barbara has admitted to being human and losing it that night. But hating you is the furthest thing from how she feels about you now. You two are doing a lot of assuming about each other and we all know that that only get's people in trouble."

"I can't talk to her about this right now," Helena said quickly, a panicked look filling her face.

"I understand. But I'm not going to let this drag out either Hel. You two _will sit down and finally open up to each other even if I have to throw you both in straightjackets and stick you in a room together until you do."_

_Helena's shoulders slumped in defeat. Leslie decided it was time to change topics. She felt they had made remarkable progress for the day and they could start tackling her issues in a couple of days when She would be scheduling a check-up with Helena. "Let's talk about your recovery and coping with your mew limitations…."_

_Leslie allowed Helena to find her way back to her room on her own since the brunette was on the same floor as her room and had made the journey from her office to her room several times now. The brunette felt a tiny sense of accomplishment when she managed to find her way without having to ask anyone for help. Maybe this blind thing wasn't going to be as bad as she thought . After all, she didn't have to endure the looks of pity or sympathy all day like Barbara had to when she'd first been paralyzed. _

_Her tiny smile of triumph quickly faded however the moment she stepped into her room. She didn't need her sight to tell her that Barbara was there waiting for her. Shit. Her head hung, unable to meet Barbara's gaze, even if she couldn't see, and she silently made her way over to her bed and settled herself onto it._

"_Is everything okay Helena?"_

_The brunette really wanted to tell herself that she could detect genuine worry and concern in Barbara's voice. But the irrational part of her mind told her that it was all part of her imagination and it was desperate hope that was causing her to hear such a tone from Barbara._

"_Yeah. She just wanted to make sure I was adjusting ok to everything before she releases me tomorrow."_

"_You can come home tomorrow?"_

_Damn…there she went hearing the hope again. "Yeah. I mean I'm going to have to talk to Leonard and ask if I can make a few modifications-,"_

"_Hel, you don't have to go back to your apartment."_

_Great, now she was hearing a whole other range of emotions. Swallowing hard, Helena looked away. "I've already put you through enough Barbara. I don't want to impose on you and Dinah any more."_

"_You wouldn't be imposing. The Clocktower will always be your home."_

_Helena sighed and looked back towards Barbara, allowing her former mentor and partner to see the raw emotions swirling in her violet eyes. "We both know I lost that privilege the night I let that bitch into our home Barbara. You had every right to be furious with me because I fucked up badly that night. There's no coming back from that, and I don't expect you forgive me for what happened because I'll never be able to forgive myself. I appreciate everything you have done for me these last couple of weeks, but if you're here because you feel guilty for what I did, then don't."_

_Barbara felt her breath catch in her throat. "What?" she gasped out, too stunned to fully comprehend Helena would believe such a thing. _

"_Don't feel like you are responsible for this Barbara," Helena told her tightly. "This is all on me. Everything. And I don't expect to be welcomed back into the Tower. Frankly, I don't think I belong there any more. You have Dinah now, and we both know she's been ready for awhile. The kid will be a far better partner than I ever was."_

_Barbara pushed herself closer to Helena's bed, feeling anger well up in her. "Damnit Hel, you never gave up on me and I'm sure as hell not going to give up on you now. We've been through too damn much to part ways at this point- and certainly not like this. You are coming home with me tomorrow and we'll figure a way through this like we always do."_

_Hel sighed, once again to resigned to argue. She went back to looking blankly at the ceiling, feeling like her life was spinning out of control once more. "Fine," she answered tiredly. "It's not like I have much choice on the matter right now anyway," she sighed._

_Barbara's hand clamped tightly on her own. "We'll get through this Hel," Barbara whispered fiercely before she left the now silent brunette to her own thoughts. _

_Helena didn't have to see the pained expression on Barbara's face to know she had upset her once again- she could smell the saltiness of the tears. _

_And she loathed herself just a little bit more for having been the cause of them once again._

_Barbara found her youngest protégé out on the balcony as usual. Dinah didn't turn, but at least she acknowledge Barbara's presence with a quiet 'hey'._

"_Helena will be released tomorrow," Barbara told her. But she somehow knew that she didn't really need to say anything. Dinah seemed to already know everything before anyone spoke up- which silently bespoke of a massive jump in her powers that she should be looking into very soon._

"_That's good," the blonde said almost indifferently. _

_Barbara sighed and moved forward, taking Dinah's hand into hers. "Dinah? Sweetheart, I know I've been preoccupied with Helena's recovery," she admitted guiltily. Green eyes bore into light blue. "But don't think I haven't noticed your own struggles. I'm scared for you and what that woman might have done to you when you touched her mind."_

_Dinah pulled her hand from Barbara's but she did so gently. After everything Barbara had done for her, she couldn't bare to hurt her any further than she'd already been hurt. "I'll be okay Barbara. I just need some time to…adjust to everything."_

"_I'm not going to push to what you mean by that, but I hope you know that you can talk to me about anything Dinah. We've all been through so much lately, and I don't want to lose you. Please don't shut me out like Hel did."_

_It was practically a beg, and the desperateness of that statement managed to reach past Dinah's callousness, and touched Dinah's heart. "I'll try not to shut you out like that," she finally allowed. "But there's a lot going on in my head right now too, and I need time and space to sort it out before I can begin to try and explain it to you."_

_Barbara seemed satisfied with this and she managed a relieved smile. "Take all the time you need sweetheart."_

_And then she left Dinah in peace as she retreated to work on the Delphi which was finally in the finishing stages of being repaired. _

_Dinah sighed, and rubbed at her temples, trying to quiet the voices in her head. She anted so badly to be able to go back to her old 'normal' self. Fucking Quinn. Every day she was loathing that woman and herself more and more. Before she had even really thought about it, she'd allowed herself to go into her ritual trance and was standing before Quinn's plastic cage once more._

_Her powerful mind released the blocks on Harley's and she watched as the psychopath flinched in anticipation. Feeling her anger bubble forth, Dinah allowed herself a predatory grin as she cracked her knuckles in anticipation. _

"_Good evening Doctor….."_


	8. Raw

Barbara knew something was terribly wrong the moment she rolled out of the elevator. The gloomy silence that had descended on the Clocktower over the past week since Helena's release, had been shattered by the sounds of a brutal fight coming from the training room. Jamming the control stick on her chair forward, Barbara sped towards the sounds of destruction as fast as she could, her heart hammering hard in her chest.

What had she been thinking leaving Dinah alone with the brunette?

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her as soon as she opened the door, and all the redhead could do for several stunned moments was sit there in shock and wonder things could have spiraled so badly out of her control.

**A half hour earlier….**

"Barbara know your using?"

"She has her concerns, but no. But then you aren't gonna say anything cuz I get my shit from the same place you do."

A right cross snapped her head around with enough force to make her vision dim for a second. Well….drugs must have been doing their job because she sure as hell hadn't seen that one coming.

"Don't you dare fucking try to blackmail me you little shit."

Dinah straightened and laughed harshly. "Or you'll do what? You think that you can just come back here after trying to kill yourself and tell me what to do? After what I did for you, you think you can tell _me_ what to do?"

She watched as Helena's breath caught in her chest and watched her hands tighten. "Look Kid, I appreciate what you did to protect us. But I told you that you shouldn't have fucked with her. Now look at what it's done to you. I may be blind, but I'm not stupid. You're slipping over the edge and whatever is you do out here every night, it's making you a little more like her every time."

Dinah was immediately in Helena's personal space, shoving a finger hard into the brunette's tender collarbone. "Don't you dare presume to lecture me. Not after everything you've put this family through. I have had enough of everyone else's shit and I'll deal with this the way I see fit," she hissed at Helena in a deadly tone that the brunette had never heard from her before.

Blind blue eyes looked sadly at Dinah. "Fuck…you really have lost it haven't you?" she asked quietly

Dinah reacted out of instinct. Her own fist lashed out and connected with enough force to send Helena staggering back with a busted nose. Through the haze that had descended over her mind, Dinah vaguely realized what she had just done, and started to cringe. And then Helena was on her, and the blonde was slammed into the ground.

"You bitch," Helena growled at her, her eyes now feral as her breath came in harsh pants. Blood was trickling down her face and it spattered in fat drops onto Dinah's shirt and jacket.

It took several attempts, but Dinah was finally able to focus her TK enough to shove Helena off of her. She scrambled to her feet and straightened her leathers out as she glared at the blind woman. "Go to hell," she spat as she tried to wipe the blood off. "You deserved that and a hell of a lot more. And don't you dare deny it because I know exactly how you feel."

"Stay the fuck out of my mind little girl," Helena snarled.

"Again…or what?"

"I'll kick your ass is what."

Dinah snorted. "Please."

Now Helena was pissed. "You think just because I can't see I can't kick your ass still?"

"None of you have any idea what I'm capable of now do you? Helena, you couldn't get within a mile of me without me knowing it. Touching Quinn's mind was probably the best and worst thing to happen to me."

Shit…did she just admit that out loud? Damn drugs.

"I'm leaning towards the worst thing to ever happen to you, and none of those powers will do jack shit for you right now when your high. Which from the smell of things happens pretty frequently," Helena sneered.

Five minutes later they were in the training room, locked in a dirty and ugly street brawl. In her drugged state, Dinah found it too difficult to focus on Helena's thoughts. Especially since she had slipped into her feral Huntress mode, where her thoughts bled away into simple instinct and raw emotions.

The only thing she had going in her favor was the fact that Helena was still recovering and had already been nursing a busted nose by the time they had stepped onto the mat. For the first time since touching Quinn's mind, Dinah found herself evenly matched in a fight. Of course if she were sober, Helena wouldn't have stood a chance against her.

But she was kind of enjoying the physical pain right now. Her lip was torn open, her jaw was aching from Helena's first punch on the balcony, and she knew that she had at least two cracked ribs. Helena had taken a nasty punch to her right eye that was sure to leave it swollen shut by morning, and was favoring her left leg after Dinah had taken advantage of Helena's sightlessness and kicked the back of her knee…hard.

All things considered, they were each surprised that Helena was actually holding her own against Dinah. Of course, in retrospect, both young women would decide that maybe that wasn't such a good thing, because it only pushed them to fight even harder. Every rule was completely kicked aside as they simply tried to beat the shit out of each other in a desperate attempt to vent all the raw anger that had been building over the past several weeks.

Helena swiped a hand across the lower half of her face, distantly aware that it came away sticky with her own blood. She hurt like hell, and was standing upright by sheer force of will and anger alone. Her senses were on overdrive, trying to compensate with her lack of sight, and she found that the enhancements made her blindness seem like a minor inconvenience.

Until Dinah had nearly broken her knee with that last kick. Now they stood a few feet apart, both panting harshly, and sizing each other up. She wasn't a fool. She knew that if the kid were sober, she wouldn't have a snowball's chance in hell of lasting more than a second against the teen. Right now however, Helena was enjoying more and more the fact that the teen had volunteered to be her punching bag.

"What's the matter blondie? So high and mighty that you've been slacking off in your training?" Helena taunted.

She heard the whisper of air shift as an arm came towards her head. She ducked, but wasn't prepared for the quick follow-up that sent her staggering back a few steps, hissing as her eye exploded in pain once more.

"I don't need any of you," Dinah snapped angrily.

Helena's whole body jerked with that statement. "No?! Then why the hell did you stay? Why did you beg Barbara to train you? Why did you follow me around like some lost puppy dog?"

"Because I was naïve enough to think that I could find happiness with you and Barbara. And look who's talking about following someone around! At least my excuse was that I was too young and stupid to know a lost cause. But you? You take the cake Hel. You're a fucking coward…just like your old man."

Helena felt something deep inside of her snap with that taunt and the caged animal part of her broke loose with savage fury. Helena had never allowed that much of her primal nature out before, and when it surfaced, it quickly swallowed the frightened human half of her. She gasped once as the darkness that had been shrouding her vision suddenly shifted.

Dinah faltered she felt the darkness that rose up in Hel consume her completely, and then watched the brunette staggered and blinked several times rapidly, her eyes moving wildly as if she were trying to focus on something. But before she could back off and ask what had happened, Helena's gaze fixed on her and Dinah realized it was no longer the blank look she had grown accosted to seeing over the last couple of weeks. Half a second later, Helena was on Dinah.

Helena's dark world had exploded into a miasma of dim colors. Nothing like her normal vision…or even like her feral vision. It was more like she was looking at objects with infra-red. Bad infrared at that. But it was better than nothing and as she lifted her head, Dinah's heat signature was only a few feet away from her.

Blood pounding in her ears, Helena snarled and leapt, tackling Dinah to the ground even as she landed yet another hard punch to the girl's jaw. The pain and the fight had begun to burn the drugs off in the blonde's system, and she managed to shove Hel off of her as she rolled over and spat blood and a tooth onto the mat.

Well fuck, she had lost her first tooth in a fight and it was to Helena no less. She was going to pay for that.

"Truth hurts doesn't it?" she taunted as she staggered back to her feet.

"Barbara is the last good thing I had left in my life. You of all people should have known that losing her would have been a fate worse than death. But I managed to do even worse than that…I fucking hurt her! I hurt her deeper than anyone else could. Tell me D. Seems you've been tripping around in my head. What would you have done?"

"Made damn well sure that I got it right when I tried to kill myself," came the sneered reply.

A string of expletives accompanied the flurry of blows aimed at Dinah. The blonde was thankfully able to avoid most of them, as the swings were powerful enough to almost be lethal. As it was, two connected with her side and more ribs gave out under the pounding. It took a great deal of concentration, but she threw the brunette across the room and into the weapons rack, buying herself some time.

She was able to catch her breath for a few seconds as Helena stumbled out of the mess, but she sucked in a sharp breath and ducked when a batarang came sailing towards her with frightening accuracy. Shit…that had been close, Dinah realized as it sank into the wall next to where her head had been. That was ll she could dwell on before Helena charged her again, this time brandishing a pair of batons.

Dinah winced and swore as several blows connected hard with her flesh before she finally managed to wrench them out of Hel's hands with her TK. After disposing of the weapons, she launched her own attack at Helena, noting that whatever sight she may have regained earlier seemed to have already faded, because she was swinging her head from side to side to catch every sound Dinah was making.

Time and again they would crash together, land several hard blows and then back away and trade insults. Finally, they had no breath or strength left for the insults and just stood in the middle of the room beating on each other.

Barbara walked into the two of them barely standing upright, clinging to the other's jacket as they traded blow for blow to the other woman's battered face. Blood stained everything in the room. It was spattered on the mirrors and walls, smeared all across the mat, stained their skin and clothing. It was brutal and horrific, and something Barbara had never expected to see from either of them.

And it seemed to push her over the edge.

Before she realized what she was doing, she had rolled forward, extended her own batons and took both girls out with well placed blows to the backs of their knees. Both went down with painful grunts, but Dinah's stamina was considerably more than Helena's because she raised a hand out of instinct and blasted Barbara backwards, sending the redhead sprawling from her chair and into the remains to the weapons rack.

Helena heard the commotion and struggled to rise to her knees her head turning back and forth. "Did you just fucking hit Barbara?"

Dinah froze, suddenly realizing what she had just done. "Oh shit," she gasped. "Barbara I'm so sor-," her words were cut off as Helena's body slammed into hers, knocking them both back to the mat.

Barbara groaned and tried to shake the cobwebs from her mind as sound and sight finally clarified for her. She turned her head to the side to take stock of her situation. Her chair was overturned, and as heavy as that one was, there was no getting that upright on her own. She was feeling a tad woozy, and her forehead hurt something fierce. Probing the sore point, she winced and then sighed as her fingers came away sticky from her own blood.

Great. Just. Fucking. Great.

She managed to untangle her body from the wreckage of the weapons rack and faced the two women who were in the process of trying to kill each other. Dinah had a solid chokehold on Helena who was weakly punching Dinah over and over even as her face began to turn purple from a lack of oxygen.

Army crawling across the floor, Barbara finally reached the two of them and flopped in between them, trying to use her dead weight to break them apart. "Stop this!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "For god's sake just stop!"

Helena's fist froze in midair when she realized Barbara was in her path, and Dinah's grip loosened just enough so that Helena could finally draw in a gasping breath. For several long seconds, the only thing that could be heard was their harsh panting.

Alfred chose that moment to arrive, and walked into a ghastly scene. "Heavens above!" he exclaimed in utter shock. "Dare I ask what on earth is going on here?" he continued, his tone stern and disapproving.

Barbara finally found her voice and was amazed that she managed to sound as calm as she did. "Alfred, I don't think this is a good time. Perhaps you could take the evening off and let us sort some things out?"

"With all due respect Miss Barbara, it is my duty to look after all of your general well being. As you can imagine, I'm more than a little concerned that if I leave the bloodshed will continue. And from the looks of things, you yourself will need some patching up if you don't want that to scar."

Barbara felt the girls tense up and firmly shoved against each of them in warning. Alfred was right. She would probably need stitches, and with Helena blind, Alfred was the only other one who could accomplish that.

"Fine, but perhaps you could give us some privacy for a little while?"

"Certainly," he said with a curt nod before leaving.

As soon as he was out of the room, Helena began growling again in the back of her throat. "Helena down!" Barbara snapped.

She felt the brunette tense, and braced herself. Suddenly the brunette was shoving back from Barbara and Dinah and knelt on the mat several feet away, her bloodied fists clenched tightly. "Does anyone want to shed some light as to why the HELL you two were just sitting here beating the SHIT out of each other?"

With the drugs still somewhat present in her system, Dinah snorted in amusement. It was kind of funny when Barbara got pissed enough to swear. She sobered up quickly when furious green eyes flashed in her direction, and she looked away.

Both girls remained silent.

Barbara's eyes narrowed. "No one is going anywhere until I get to the bottom of this," she warned in an icy tone that she rarely used, but both girls knew not to mess with her when she did use it.

Helena was the first to answer. "Why don't you ask blondie? She seems to have all the answers nowadays," she remarked sarcastically.

"Fuck you," the teen shot back at her.

"Enough!" Barbara roared. "What is wrong with both of you?"

Helena was silent for only a few moments before she finally answered. "Dinah here hit up my dealer for some drugs, got high and then decided it was a good night to remind me of just how much of a fuck up I am. When she didn't like my response to her little tripped out observations, we took it in here to settle things the old fashioned way."

Barbara watched as Dinah flinched, and stared between both young women trying to absorb everything that had been revealed in that statement. Her former ward was admitting to using drugs while at the same time ratting out that her current ward was using them. Helena's self esteem was at an all time low. And both girls had some serious anger management issues now.

She decided to tackle the largest issue first. Rolling onto her back, she closed her eyes with a tired sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "How long have the two of you been using and how much are we talking about?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer.

Helena answered first. "I've been using since my mom was killed. And with my metabolism, nothing really affects me for long so only when things are really bad do I even bother. When a new drug hit's the street I will hit up my buyer so I can see how it affects me. Always good to be informed and prepared when you're out on the streets right?"

"Hel, addictive and illegal arguments aside, do you know how dangerous it is to be testing new designer drugs on yourself like that?" Barbara said, unable to keep her voice from creeping up out of stress.

Helena shrugged. "I have yet to find one that will last more than an hour in my system Barbara. Shit…the painkiller cocktail you and Leslie developed, hits me harder than anything I've come across in the streets Barbara."

"Dinah?" Barbara prodded when no answer was forthcoming from the teen.

"Since Quinn's attack and I smoke a joint a couple of times a week. It's the only thing that quiets the noise in my head," she admitted quietly.

Barbara scrubbed a hand across her face and then winced as she was reminded of their physical state at the moment. "Dinah, please get my chair for me. Hel, if you could go call Alfred back in here. I doubt my hands will be steady enough to patch any of us up tonight," she sighed.

The two rose unsteadily to accomplish their given tasks, and with some assistance, Barbara managed to get herself back into her chair. She surveyed the damage to the room and both young woman and groaned inwardly. There was no way any of them would be going out in public like this for at least a couple of days.

Alfred came in, spent the next hour stitching and bandaging the three women up and then withdrew with a promise to make them 'a calming spot of tea'. Having sobered up and now able to clearly read everyone's thought's again, Dinah stood and began to head for the door after Alfred had left.

"Where do you think you're going?" Barbara asked, feeling her anger rise again.

"I already know what you're going to lecture me on and the ultimatums that you have just considered even though you weren't going to tell them to me," Dinah informed her, her stance aggressive and her face cold and hard once more. "I'm going out to think," was all she offered before she turned on her heel and stalked out of the room.

Barbara opened her mouth to stop her, but it was Helena who kept her from calling out. "Let the kid go Barbara," she advised quietly.

"Damnit Hel!" Barbara said angrily as she spun to face the younger woman who was now sitting on a bench, and leaning back against the wall with an ice pack pressed against the side of her face and another wrapped against her knee.

"Yeah I know," the brunette sighed tiredly. "I fucked up again, and now the kid's in deep shit. "I'll talk to Mark and tell him to stop supplying her and to put the word out that no one is to deal to her."

"Helena….where did things go so wrong?! I mean the fact that you are even telling me that is...is…preposterous! How can you be out there doing what we do and be using drugs behind my back?!"

"First of all, I'm not strong like you Barbara!" Helena shouted back at her as she pulled the ice pack away from her face and turned her face in Barbara's general direction. "I'm not like everyone else and some nights the only thing that can take the edge off the rage and pain I feel before I snap and kill someone is the drugs. Yeah…I used pretty frequently after my mom was murdered. But since I began hitting the streets I rarely touch the stuff anymore and usually its only to experiment with new drugs to see how they will affect me."

"Then how the hell does Dinah know how about your supplier?!"

"The same way she knows everything else right now Barbara! Ever since she touched Quinn it's like her powers have been augmented a hundred fold. She can read minds without touching anyone, and can sense anyone from a mile away. She get's high because it's probably the only thing that will dull her powers enough to give her an hour of peace. And yeah…I know that's my fault too," Helena said tossing the ice pack down and struggling to her feet.

"You know what? I just need to leave," she declared. "Everything I ever touch and everyone I ever let myself care for ends up dead or hurt. For the first time in my life, I finally understand _why _my father left. I can't keep letting this happen to you guys and I can't protect you."

"What?!" Barbara gasped in utter disbelief.

"I can't keep doing this Barbara. I've already pushed you and the kid away…I won't be responsible for the two of you being hurt any more," Helena told her in a choked voice as she began to limp towards the door.

Barbara quickly moved to block her escape. "No!" she snapped angrily. "I will NOT let you do what _he_ did. I will not let you walk out that door without a fight Helena. We are family damn it and I am not going to let us fall apart. If that happens then they win, and everything we worked so hard for will be for nothing….and I don't think I could take that Hel…I really don't," the redhead admitted feeling tears burn her eyes as her voice shook.

Helena's dropped to the ground, tears forming in her own eyes. "Barbara….I don't see how we can fix this. "You hate me and you have every right to for getting Wade killed and all those innocent people hurt that night. I'm blind and obviously unstable, and the kid is one step away from becoming the next Quinn."

"Will you STOP assuming that I hate you!" Barbara said as she slapped the arm of her chair in frustration.

"Oh for fuck's sake Barbara, please don't lie to me! I _saw it in your eyes that night and every night for the rest of that week as you sat on the balcony."_

_Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose, her head aching furiously. She really wanted a stiff drink right now. A large stiff drink. "Hel...I was devastated by our failure to stop Quinn before she wrought so much damage on this city and in our own personal lives. And yes, I was furious with you for awhile after that because I needed to blame someone for what happened and you were the most convenient scapegoat," she admitted._

"_But I regret that, because this wasn't your fault. And before you start to protest, know that I genuinely and sincerely mean that. Yes, I still think some events could have been avoided had you not fought me so hard on the mask issue. But Quinn still would have followed through with her plan and would have probably still used you in it since she was already fascinated by you before she even knew about your secret identity."_

"_People died because of me and I almost killed you," Helena said around the lump in her throat._

"_It happens in this business Hel. Even I have my own skeletons in the closet…or have you forgotten about Sandy?"_

_Helena stood very still in the middle of the room, her body shaking. Her face was still turned down, and tears slowly leaked onto the bloodstained mat. "I watched her stab him...and there was nothing I could do," she whispered. _

_Barbara was trying to forgive her, but if Helena was to live with that then Barbara had to know everything. She heard the red-head draw in a sharp breath. "So, you remember?"_

_Helena swallowed thickly and nodded, looking away still. Part of her was glad she couldn't see Barbara's face right now because if the redhead was hating her once more, she didn't think she could take seeing that look on her face again. _

_Barbara stared at Helena in shock and then was rolling towards her. A mixture of emotions were running through her and she found herself at a loss at to what to say or do for a moment. She noticed that the younger woman had finally lifted her head, prepared for whatever Barbara might say or do._

_The redhead finally took a minute to dissect her feelings and decide upon an action. She was angry to be sure. Angry that Helena had lied to her. Angry that the brunette had been put through so much that night. Angry that she hadn't realized that Hel had been lying. _

_And then there was a serious helping of sympathy for the brunette. Heaven's above, no wonder she took a leap off her father's building. Barbara knew her reaction that night after the battle, hadn't helped matters any. After this revelation, she could easily understand why Helena would think she hated her so much...and how she probably felt she deserved it. _

_Helena was obviously feeling like she didn't deserve anyone's forgiveness. She probably wouldn't accept it either…not until she received what she most like deemed an appropriate ass-chewing. Accordingly, Barbra allowed some of her anger to take hold and she slapped Helena hard across her already bruised cheek._

_The action made her wince as she watched the brunette stagger back from a blow that wouldn't have even phased her normally. But a part of her felt some tiny sense of satisfaction. "That, is for lying to me," she said evenly and then paused for effect. _

_Helena swallowed and nodded mutely, tears streaming down her face. Barbara forced herself to strike Helena's other cheek. "And that is for scaring the shit out of me," she continued, her voice catching. _

_Helena continued to stand there, staring blankly down at the mat, prepared for another blow. She wasn't expecting Barbara to yank her down into her lap and wrap her in a tight hug that made half her body protest. But when Barbara whispered the next words into her short hair she broke down sobbing, forgetting her aches as she simply accepted the forgiveness and love that was being offered to her._

"_This is for coming back to me and to let you know that I will always be here for you Hel…no matter what. I love you sweetheart and I will go down fighting before I let anyone tear our family apart."_

_Alfred quietly walked past the room, and allowed himself a relieved smile as he took in the touching scene. He was still a great deal worried about young Miss Dinah. But if Miss Helena and Miss Barbara could mend things, then they stood a better chance at tackling the issues with Miss Dinah. _

_It would certainly mean less work for him, he mused as he surveyed the extensive damage done to the gym once more. Bloody hell. He'd just replaced that mat too._


	9. Dark Prodigy

The blonde woman paced her cell, feeling very much like the caged animal that she was. What made it worse was that she had enough awareness to know that her caging was far greater than just the special glass cell she was locked in. A large portion of her mind was locked away in a place that she couldn't ever hope to reach. Only one person could bring forth her memories of who she really was and why she was locked away here. And while she remembered nothing of her encounters with the blonde youth, she knew enough to be afraid whenever she saw her appear.

Like now. It was strange though, the girl actually entered through the door this time instead of just appearing like normal. That much she did know was unusual. Quinn gasped as the locks around her mind were released and memories flooded back into her consciousness. Then she was fighting back the wave of nausea that always followed the mental rush, and winced at the instant headache that began to throb along her temples.

The sight that greeted her tonight however caused her to straighten up quickly. "Finally pick a fight you couldn't win?" she had to ask, her eyes raking over the blonde's battered face.

As usual, her reward was a searing pain that lanced through her skull and seemed to burn away at her very brain. She tried not to cry out, but Dinah eventually ripped a scream of agony from her. She hated that. She hated not being in control and at the mercy of another.

The analytical part of her realized that of course this was just a dose of her own medicine so to speak. She'd never really been on the receiving end of helplessness, and while she loathed it, she also filed away the experience, knowing that she would put this practical knowledge to very good use one day.

Starting with the blonde in front of her. At least if she didn't self destruct before Harley got out. She certainly seemed to be teetering on the edge of the abyss tonight.

"So tell me? How is Helena?" Harley leered at the teen, looking to push her buttons. She knew it was going to cost her, dearly. But it was all she had left at her disposal.

She hadn't been counting on such a violent reaction so quickly however.

The glass surrounding her cage shattered into a million tiny pieces and suddenly a dozen alarms were going off. Harley had instinctively curled up into a ball as soon as the glass went, and looked up when she heard footsteps crunching the shards in a patch directly towards her.

When she saw a very real Dinah approaching her, the murdering psychopath felt the first tendrils of fear begin to close around her mind.

Barbara and Helena's heads snapped up when alarms started blaring from the recently repaired Delphi. "Oh god," Barbara whispered.

After the previous evening's fight, Helena became very aware of her need ot get back into a workout routine. Barbara hadn't been happy about it, especially since Helena was still favoring her one knee slightly, and her other injuries had yet to fade. But Barbara pulled herself away from working on the rebuilt Dephi, long enough to keep a close eye on Hel, while squeezing in a workout of her own.

Helena stiffened however, when she heard the tone in Barbara's voice and immediately scented the fear rolling off her. The brunette knew that if she had her sight back, her mentor had probably just gone several shades paler.

The alarm wasn't the normal one, so Helena knew this one was special and it obviously wasn't good. "Barbara?" she asked tightly.

"That's the alarm used specifically for a breach in Harley's section of Arkham," came the whispered response.

"Fuck! The kid!" Helena swore. Dinah hadn't come home the previous night, and had turned her comms off. Gibson said he hadn't seen here, and both Hel and Barbara were both waiting for the fallout from last night.

Just then, Alfred came into the training room, his normally calm voice strained. "Miss Barbara, I'm afraid there is a situation with Miss Dinah."

Quinn was never one to back down from an opponent. Not even when Barbara Gordon had her against the railing and ready to deliver that killing blow. But the blonde knew that anything Dinah was about to dish out right now was going to be far worse than anything even she wanted to experience.

And so she hastily scrambled away from the teen stalking her in the confines of the cold metal room they were now trapped in. "Now Dinah, think about what Barbara would say if you killed me," she began nervously.

Dinah's eyes flashed…literally flashed…and Harley found herself hurled bodily across the room. She slammed into the wall, and felt ribs protest under the blow and her head exploded in bright star bursts of pain as it cracked against the steel.

Self preservation overrode the pain as soon as the crunching boots approached her and Quinn forced herself to crawl away, the shards biting into her hands and knees. The steps quickened and a brutal kick was delivered to her midsection, hard enough to break at least one rib.

"Don't you dare use her name against me you psychopathic bitch!" Dinah screamed as she hauled Quinn up and slammed her fist into the older woman's face.

"Oh god no," Barbara exhaled as she took in the scene before her.

"Barbara what's going on?" Helena demanded.

"Dinah broke into Quinn's cell and is….is…"

"She's going to kill her isn't she?" the brunette asked flatly, clearly hearing the sounds that were pouring from the speakers.

"Miss Barbara, as soon as I became aware of the fact that Miss Dinah entered the facility I immediately began erasing signs of her existence. I was just about to come and get you when she was provoked and broken the glass casing around Quinn's cell. I immediately triggered the bomb threat alarm and the facility is currently being cleared of all personnel. I have contacted Detective Reese and he is on his way."

"Thank you for your quick thinking Alfred. Can you continue to handle the Delphi?" she asked rolling over to the safe that held her neural transponder.

Helena's hand clamping down on hers stopped her from unlocking it however. "Give me the comms."

"Helena you are far from being up to going out, let alone handle a situation like this."

"Damnit Barbara, don't argue with me on this! This is my mess, I need to fix this. Please…just give me a set of comms."

Barbara began to protest but the look in Hel's sightless eyes, along with the strength of the grip on her hand caused the redhead to hesitate.

"Barbara, I can be down there quicker than anyone else and you can talk me through the rest. I've got to try and stop this from happening. Please."

The pleading tone finally broke through Barbara's reluctance and she yanked a drawer open on the desk and pulled out a comm set. "Helena how are you going to get there?"

The brunette had stilled for a second, in seeming deep thought, and Barbara saw a full body shiver run through her. When she looked back up at the older woman, her eyes were feral and a deep shade of gold she rarely saw. And for the first time in weeks, her gaze actually met Barbara's causing the redhead to inhale sharply.

Helena didn't say anything, instead she turned and purposefully made her way to the balcony. Without a second thought she leapt up onto the railing and took a moment to breath in the night air and look at her surroundings through her impaired senses.

After the fight with Dinah less than an hour ago, Helena had been startled to realize that she still had access to some animalistic part of her that could see. Somewhat at least. The infrared colors were somewhat painful and it took her a moment to recognize various shapes. And it didn't last long.

But she had flown across these rooftops every night for most of her life. She could probably do this without her sight, but in her current condition, she was going to need every bit of help she could get. She heard Barbara shout her name in fear as she leapt out into the night, and then any other words she might have said were caught away as the wind rushed past her ears.

Detective Jesse Reese pulled up outside the asylum along with a number of other units and jumped out of his car. The staff was pouring out of the building, the police busy in making sure that none of the current residents were attempting to escape in the mayhem.

Alfred had quickly explained the situation to him, and Reese knew he only had ten to fifteen minutes tops before SWAT and the bomb squad would arrive and begin breaching the facility. He needed to get inside quickly and get the girl out before anyone noticed what was going on.

Running up the stairs he 'accidently' collided with one of the fleeing staff members, and palmed the woman's security card as he made a show of steadying her and then continue inside. He breathed a sigh of relief when a minute later he found himself alone in the corridor.

"Oracle I hope you're on the job here," he muttered as he began to make his way towards the maximum security wing.

Barbara held her breath as she watched Helena's GPS close in on the asylum in a nearly impossible rate. She still didn't understand how it was possible…especially with her injuries. Her eyes tracked towards the other monitor, where Dinah was stalking around Quinn like a cat playing with a mouse. The police were pulling up out front of the asylum, and she began pulling up other security camera's to keep an eye out for Reese.

A blood curdling scream drew her gaze back to the monitors and she watched as Quinn writhed on the floor, clutching her head, while Dinah stood over her with a satisfied smirk. The mental torture lasted for another minute, and Barbara felt herself near being sick.

Dinah crouched down in front of Quinn as the older woman sucked in gasping breaths. "I know every little thing about you Harleen. Like how you used to get off on the pain your 'Sweet Mr. J' used to dish out to you. But you didn't always like it did you?" she asked, almost sympathetically as she traced a finger along Harley's jaw line. The older woman flinched from that touch.

"You were just a psychiatrist, bored and fed up with other people's shit. You were fascinated with the human psyche and were obsessed with knowing just how far one's limits could be pushed. So you found a little hobby. You would see just how far you could push yourself and it was the biggest turn on and rush for you when you would reach that edge and then come back from it. Every time you would go just a little bit further."

Dinah paused and tilted her head to one side. "And then you met the Joker. You want to tell yourself it was the best thing that ever happened to you, but we both know it was the worst," she whispered.

Harley tried to deny that statement, but with a casual wave of Dinah's hand, the older woman was rendered silent. "It's kind of like me touching you," Dinah said with a chuckle that carried more than a hint of insanity to it.

She stood silently, and spun around gesturing expansively. "All that knowledge unlocked the full potential of my power. I bet if Barbara was to scan my brain now I'd melt the machine. I doubt there is a being on this planet right now that could stop me," she said haughtily and her eyes bored down into Quinn's as the smiled that graced her lips took on a cold and menacing quality.

"And I have you of all people to thank."

Something shifted in the teens eyes however and Quinn was yanked into the air, suspended by Dinah's will alone as the taller girl advanced on her. Anger was contorting her battered features once more. "I have you to thank for the pain you have brought to me and my family!" she shouted as she swung at Harley.

The captive woman's head snapped to the side, her lip splitting. "I have you to thank for fucking up the one good thing I had going in my life." Another blow was delivered.

"I have you to thank for the nonstop invasion of thoughts in my head every second of every day!"

Alfred cleared his throat. "Miss Barbara, I believe the intercom system is still working. Perhaps now would be a good time to try and stall her?" he gently suggested.

Barbara swallowed against the bile in the back of her throat, as she watched her youngest ward mercilessly beat Quinn. She typed in a few commands and adjusted her headset.

Quinn almost sobbed in relief as Barbara Gordon's voice came over the intercom. "Dinah! Please don't do this."

"I have you to thank for knowing that every day my sanity and my family slip just a little further away from me," Dinah yelled, too caught up in her rage at the moment to hear Barbara's plea.

Helena grunted as pain flared up from her injured knee and rattled the rest of her injuries as she dropped down onto the street a block away from Arkham. Everything was starting to blur and she knew she didn't have much time. Forcing herself into a limping jog, she skirted around the edges of the milling crowd of staff and police and scaled the wall surrounding the facility.

Sticking to the areas that she instinctively knew were shadowed, she circled towards a rarely used loading dock in the back. "Oracle, I'm here. Think you can crack open a few doors for me?" she asked her partner.

Barbara breathed a sigh of relief. She could tell Helena was in pain, and Leslie was going to kill her for sure for allowing the brunette to go out like this in her condition. "Reese just entered the front and I'm clearing a path for both of you. Don't worry about security feeds, I'm scrambling everything. Just get in there Hel. I can't break through to her," Barbara said fearfully.

Quinn shuddered, her voice hoarse from screaming. Everything was on fire from the brutal torture that Dinah had been subjecting her too for the last fifteen minutes. Barbara was still trying to reach through the vengeful haze that had descended upon Dinah, but with little result. Quinn was just wishing that the girl would get it over with and kill her.

She was wrenched back upright and Dinah was in her face grinning cruelly. "Oh no my dear Harleen. You have put me and my family through too much hell for far too long for your death to be that short and easy."

"Dinah for god's sakes listen to yourself!" Barbara screamed through the speaker system and all Quinn could manage was a sigh of relief as that seemed to finally break through Dinah's focus.

Helena swore as her knee gave out finally and she staggered headlong into a wall and slid to the ground. As the pain and exhaustion finally took over, her primal side faded and her world faded into black once more. "Shit," she muttered as she tried to climb to her feet, but only managed to go a few feet before the pain caused her to trip up and fall again.

She caught her forehead on the edge of a railing, and the disorientation that quickly consumed her was far worse with nothing to visually focus on. When she was able to finally push her back against the wall and not feel like she was falling over, Helena realized she had no idea which way to go.

"Oracle? I think I might need a little help here," she called out.

"Dinah, please," Barbara pleaded. "Don't do this sweetheart. She's not worth your soul."

"You don't understand Barbara. The moment I touched her, I think I sold it to the Devil herself," the girl said, sounding infinitely sad.

"No Dinah. You haven't, but if you don't stop this now, you will cross that line and there is no coming back from it. Please just let her go and come home."

She watched tensely as Dinah hesitated and then heard Helena's call for help. Her eyes ticked towards the security screens that were monitoring both her and Reese's progress. She quickly typed in another command and killed the link to the cell area where Dinah and Quinn were and opened the channel to Reese.

"Reese this is Oracle. I need for you to take the next corridor on your right and then head down that stairwell. Exit on the third level down and then turn right. Helena's at the end of that corridor and needs your help."

She killed the connection before he could respond and turned her attention back to Dinah.

"What?!" Reese shouted into the air. But there was no answer, and so he took off running in the direction that Oracle had instructed. What the hell was Helena doing here? And how did she get here so fast?

Thirty seconds later he was pounding down the stairwell, and burst out of the stairwell at the appropriate floor. He sped down the corner and as soon as he rounded it, he was greeted with a sight that made him swallow sickly.

"Jesus Christ Helena, what are you doing here and what the hell happened to you? I didn't hear from you for over a month and then Alfred finally tells me that you had an accident and had been hurt badly but you weren't being allowed any visitors while you recovered! Then I get the call from him tonight that Dinah's gone ape shit on Quinn?"

"Jesse, I'll explain what happened later, can you just help me up?" she said weakly.

He frowned, taking in the fresh injuries to her face, and the odd blank look she had in her eyes. But he bent down and wrapped his arm around her torso as she slung an arm over his shoulder and allowed him to pull her upright.

"Which way from here?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. Do you see a large door with two vertical stripes painted on it at the end of this hallway somewhere?"

"What?" he asked confused as he looked over at her.

"Do you see the door?" she asked tightly.

Her gaze was pointed at the floor and still blank and suddenly it dawned on him. "Oh my god Hel!" he gasped.

"I'm blind right now Reese," she confirmed. "Now do you see the fucking door?!"

"Uh, yeah," he answered finally. "How did you make it this far?"

"Later Reese," she answered tightly. "We need to get to Dinah before she kills that bitch. Head for the door."

Barbara watched as Reese picked up Helena and the two of them began to make their way towards the Maximum Security Ward. She only needed to buy them another minute. "Dinah, whatever you are thinking of doing, she's not worth it. I know how much the need to end her threat and to make her pay is burning inside of you right now. You of all people have to know just how close I came that night," Barbara said, her voice shaking as unwanted memories surfaced.

Dinah was staring at the barely conscious woman at her feet, recalling everything she had read from her companions after the fight. "You were going to do it," she said flatly. "You were going to kill her and for that one moment, you didn't care what it would do to you. You were willing to sacrifice yourself, to stop this bitch from ever hurting anyone again."

"Do you remember why I didn't kill her? Were you able to read everything that stopped me from crossing the line that night?"

Dinah's gaze went inwards and then Barbara saw her breath catch. "That's right Dinah. You were a large part of why I didn't kill her sweetheart. Please don't do this now."

She watched the blonde's internal struggle drag on for a few more seconds. "Damn it Barbara you don't understand!" Dinah shouted suddenly as Quinn was levitated off the floor. "People like her don't give up!"

Reese and Helena finally entered the room, the brunette leaning heavily against the detective, her face a mask of pain and exhaustion. "Dinah," she panted. "Leave the bitch alone. I think you've probably proved your point by now."

Harley, who had been allowing herself to fade in and out of consciousness by now to escape some of the pain, came to full alertness the moment Helena entered. Despite the pain it caused she smirked. "Well well, Helena," she slurred. "It appears you have as many extra lives as your mother did. Heard you were on death row there for awhile. Looks like you're still a little worse for the wear th-," her words were cut off as pain lanced through her brain again and she cried out once more.

"Harley, I strongly suggest you shut the fuck up for once," Helena growled out. She murmured something to the detective by her side who seemed to be guiding the brunette towards where Dinah and Quinn were.

Survival kicked in again, and Harley actually remained silent as she observed Helena as closely as her dazed mind would allow. With Reese's help, the brunette approached the tall blonde.

"Dinah, this is all my fault. You shouldn't have to be paying for my mistakes, and I wish there was some way I could take this all back. You were right last night, I am a coward," she admitted quietly as her head hung in shame. "But you aren't. You and Barbara are the strongest people I know, and it's killing us both to see you giving in to someone like her. Please let her go, and come home with me."

Helena blindly reached out and then Quinn's right eye went wide as she realized Helena truly was blind. Dinah's withering glare shot her way though and Quinn quickly snapped her mouth shut. Looking closer however, she realized that Helena's injuries were as fresh as Dinah's and had to smirk. So…it was Helena that had managed to kick the blonde's ass recently. Figured.

Dinah shrank back from Hel's touch, but the brunette heard her shift and honed in on her with startling accuracy. A firm hand wrapped around her wrist and Dinah was suddenly assaulted by more than just the surface thoughts in Helena's brain.

That blind gaze burned into hers. "I've hurt her enough to last a lifetime. You're the only one who knows how I feel. Please don't do this to her too," Helena whispered softly enough that no one else could hear but Dinah.

Barbara reached forward to increase the feed's volume, but whatever Helena had said to Dinah seemed to have finally gotten through to the teen. She watched as the anger fled Dinah's body and her shoulders sagged heavily.

Helena sensed the shift in Dinah as well, and pulled her into an unwilling hug. "I'm so sorry about earlier," she whispered, feeling tears form in her eyes as she thought about what she had done to the brave young woman that she had come to consider her sister. "I'm just scared, and lost and I don't want to lose you too."

For the first time ever, Helena dropped her guard completely, and Dinah shuddered as the emotions washed through her. She clung to the smaller woman, as everything began to spin crazily in her head. A heart wrenching sob tore from her chest as her world began to crash down around her, and Helena hung onto her tightly.

Everyone was so wrapped up in the scene between Helena and Dinah, that everyone had forgotten about Quinn for the moment. She however, had been waiting for just the right moment of distraction and wrapped her hand around one of the larger shards that lay strewn across the entire floor. Bracing for the pain that was about follow, she rolled to her feet and launched herself towards the blonde teen.

The two were oblivious to what was happening, but Reese had heard the noise of Quinn getting up and Barbara was shouting a warning even as the psychopath was heading straight for Dinah. The girl instinctively wasn't so distracted however that she didn't sense the impending danger or the instinctive reactions from everyone .

She paused for the two seconds it took for Reese to un-holster his sidearm, aim and fire it before she took control of the situation.

Everyone in the room froze, though not by their own free will. Helena, with her enhanced hearing, could here an odd spinning noise in the deafening silence of the room and frowned as she turned her head towards the area of the source.

The teen withdrew from Helena's embrace and turned to face the insane woman that was only a few feet from where she and Hel were standing. She smirked when she saw fear light up in Quinn's eyes, and slowly circled her captive. She noticed that Quinn's gaze was torn between her and the bullet that was still spinning, only millimeters from her head.

Dinah paused and looked at the bullet as well and then back at Reese who was staring at her in frozen shock. "Wow Reese, you sure you're not part meta? I mean this shot really is amazing and you pulled it off cowboy style."

He could only silently watch as Dinah mentally lifted Quinn and moved her so close to the bullet that it dug ever so slightly into the skin of her forehead. The friction alone caused the metal to bite deeper into flesh, and a trickle of blood began to seep down the side of her face.

"Dinah, don't do this," Barbara pleaded over the speakers.

Dinah ignored her however. She just met Quinn's gaze and let the older woman see the madness in her own eyes as she stepped into Quinn's personal space and wrapped a slender blonde hand around the back of the smaller blonde's neck. She leaned in, her mouth brushing Quinn's ear and smirked when she felt Quinn's internal shudder.

"You must be so proud of yourself, because you did this to me. You finally sent one of us over the edge, but you're realizing too late that you picked the wrong damn one and scares the shit out of you right now doesn't it? I can feel your fear, and you know what? You're right….it is seductive and empowering," Dinah admitted.

She leaned back, still smirking. "I could give you the most horrific death right now while I held you immobile and there is nothing anyone could do to stop me," she declared loud arrogantly. She watched as Quinn's gaze flickered around the room. "Not even Barbara can stop me, because I have disable all of the safeties surrounding this entire area."

Dinah tipped her head to one side, a mannerism that was not at all hers, but a side-effect of merging with Quinn's mind. "You really do have a sick mind, because you showed me all sorts of unpleasant ways to kill a person that I could have never have even dreamed of before. Would you like to see some of the ways you could die?"

Quinn couldn't even flinch as the girl's grip on the back of her neck slid up into her hair and tightened, yanking her head back slightly as icy blue eyes stared deep into her own. And then the images assaulted her. What she saw made even her sick.

Dinah was right. She had created this. Dinah was her mental prodigy, and she had lost complete control over someone who was far more insane and in far less control than herself. To make matters worse was Dinah was out for more than just blood….she was out to make Quinn suffer.

The bullet was still spinning against her head, the metal burning as continued to slowly eat away at the flesh. But the pain was nothing compared to the fear that welled up and consumed her. The triumphant look in Dinah's eyes as a hungry smile stretched those young lips, turned the fear into something Quinn hadn't felt ever in her life.

Blind panic.


	10. Shatter

Helena fought against the hold Dinah had her locked in for several moments before realizing it was futile. If the Kid had the ability to disable the safety systems in the entire wing, there was no way she was going to break out of her mental grip.

She wished she could see what was going on though. That strange spinning sound was still tickling her sensitive ears, and the scent of burnt flesh and the coppery tang of blood was assaulting her sense of smell. She had to guess it was coming from Quinn, who was apparently as immobilized as she and Reese were.

Helena desperately tried to think of a way to stop all of this as she listened to the blonde's cold words to Quinn. God this was so fucked up, she groaned to herself. Think Helena! she chastised herself. For once use your head, because your fists aren't going to get you out of this one.

And then it hit her. She forced herself to tune everything out for a moment and focused her mind inwardly. When Dinah and Barbara had linked with her during that one case with Ketterly, she had remembered the odd feeling that she'd been left with for a couple of hours after the mind merging. It was the lingering effects of having someone other than herself in her mind.

When the Kid had accidentally read her during an intense sparring session shortly after Black Canary had been killed, Helena had immediately sensed her presence in the back of her skull before the Kid had a chance to tell her what had just happened.

Helena sought out that now familiar touch, and immediately found it. Dinah had gotten much better at masking her presence, but Helena sensed her none-the-less. Which meant that she had an open link to the Kid. Saying a quick silent prayer that this would work, she followed that thread back to it's source and mentally shouted at her partner with everything she had.

Dinah had been so focused on Quinn that she had been distracted enough to not sense what Helena was up to until the emotional outburst in her own mind caught her completely off guard and caused her to physically stumble. Her hand flew up to rub at the sharp pain that immediately ran through her temple and she winced as she was bombarded by a flood of powerful emotions.

She instinctively severed her link with Helena, forgetting for a moment that this would also release the brunette from her hold. Through her headache, she vaguely heard Hel gasp and stagger, and then the brunette was fumbling blindly towards her.

"Damn it Hel!" Dinah swore angrily. Wary of trying to link with her again, the blonde backed away from Helena as the older woman finally honed in on her and limped towards her with intent.

"Dinah, you can kick my ass from here to Metropolis and back if it will make you feel better, but please stop this," Helena begged. "She's not worth your soul."

Dinah stopped her retreat and looked aver at Quinn, still frozen in her grasp. "You don't understand Hel…she already took it," Dinah finally said sadly.

Helena had closed the distance between them, and her healing hands searched up Dinah's body until they were gently cupping her face. She couldn't see the younger woman, but Helena could sense the pain and loss in the blonde and felt tears well up in her eyes. "If she had, you would have killed her by now," Helena whispered. God she wished she could see Dinah right now! Her hands convulsively tightened, and she felt Dinah stiffen as her strong emotions bled into the telepath.

"Please come back to us," the brunette begged in the barest of whispers, even though she was projecting that single thought as loudly as she could along with every ounce of love she had for the girl that had become like a sister to her.

Dinah gasped, and then with a shudder her eyes closed, and she and Hel went completely silent for many long moments as everyone else watched on, helpless to say or do anything else to reach either young woman.

Barbara was gripping the edge of her desk tightly, her upper body completely tensed up as she watched the scene unfold before her. How Helena had managed to break Dinah's hold on her to begin with was beyond the redhead at the moment. But it was clear that the two were locked in some kind of mental link right now, and they were all quickly running out of time.

The redhead's hands flew across her keyboards, bringing Arkham into a tight lockdown. She still had no control of the section Quinn was being held in, but Barbara was able to control everything leading into that section. By locking it down, she would be able to stall the approaching SWAT team's breach of the facility by at least five, perhaps even ten minutes.

Then all she could do was sit back and watch. "Please get through to her," she whispered fervently. Alfred's steady hand on her shoulder gave her a measure of hope.

The maelstrom of Dinah's fractured mind nearly shattered Helena's own unstable sanity. What she saw, the unfathomable power she felt, and the terrifying cacophony of "noise" that bombarded her as it did Dinah, mentally brought Helena to her knees, screaming.

Dear god in heaven, no wonder the kid was losing it. And she thought her own life was fucked up.

It was a brutal smack of reality that brought Helena immediately out of her emotional downward spiral. She had failed her family, she'd gotten an innocent man killed, and she was now blind. But at least she didn't have to deal with this every second of every day. It was the old adage that there is always someone out there who has it worse than you do. She just never imagined it would be sweet innocent Dinah.

Something finally stirred deep within Helena, breaking her free of the suffocating depression that had stolen her will to exist these past few months. She would not lose Dinah to Quinn too. Drawing on every ounce of stubbornness that both parents had gifted her with, the brunette fought past the pain and noise and once more reached out to the blonde figure that was huddled on the ground next to her, sobbing.

It was then that Helena realized she could see clearly and was eternally grateful for that one small boon here in the planes of Dinah's mind. With tears of her own pouring down her face, Helena wrapped her adoptive younger sister up in a fierce hug and just held her, feeling everything that Dinah did through the link.

"God Dinah…I never knew," she said in a choked whisper. "I'm so sorry….I'm sorry I caused this to happen to you."

And Helena hated herself just a little bit more, but was doubly determined to make this right. Dinah however was able to clearly read her thoughts and stiffened. "No…this isn't your fault Hel!" she shouted angrily as she pulled away from the brunette.

"Dinah, look at yourself. I can feel everything you are going through right now and this is all because you touched Quinn that night trying to cover for me. You were trying to fix what I fucked up and now you are paying the price."

"Damnit Helelena I'm not a kid anymore and you both need to stop treating me like one!!!" Dinah continued. "I knew what I was risking if I touched Quinn that night. I knew before I even touched her. But that bitch had just shattered the first people I had come to think of as my family. I 'saw' what would happen if I didn't silence her Hel. I had to make sure she didn't expose us or our lives would have been even worse off than they are now. I was willing to sell my soul to the Devil right then and there if it meant keeping us from going down that path."

Helena was rendered speechless for several long moments. "Was it really worse than what we are facing right now?" she asked hoarsely. She honestly couldn't imagine things being worse than they were right now.

Dinah's shaky whispered convinced her that she didn't even want to know how much worse it could be. "If Quinn had the chance to expose us, the repercussions would reach far beyond our lives and that of New Gotham."

Helena watched as Dinah's gaze glazed over, and realized she was seeing into the future. Their dark surroundings suddenly began to shimmer with what could only be faint visions of what was to come. It was all very intangible, but the ghostly images and sounds were more than enough to fill Helena with a sense of dread.

"Humanity's existence will be threatened and it will take all of Earth's champions to save us from annihilation. Had I not kept Quinn silent, the Oracle would be forever silenced, and for the want of six creatures of the night, a war would be lost."

Helena's eyes flickered around them as the faint images played out a horrific battle being waged. The enormity of it shook her to the core as one scene in particular caught her attention. It looked like a final standoff, because as the image flickered by them, she recognized dozens of superheroes before the scene shifted and then eventually faded as the vision passed.

Helena blinked, and filed away what she felt and saw for later discussion. This wasn't the time to delve into this particular revelation, but it was too important to sideline indefinitely. She released a shaky breath and blinked again to try and clear her head.

"Alright D, you made the right choice then, but you can't keep torturing her or yourself like this. All you are doing is becoming more like her and giving her the satisfaction of knowing that she's breaking you. Do you really want to let a douche bag like her get the upper hand over you? Just wipe her mind, if that's what you think needs to be done and then let her rot in here for the rest of her life. It will certainly be a far better punishment than any of us could ever give her," Helena pleaded.

Dinah's gaze finally refocused on Hel, and with a tired sigh she stepped back, hugging her arms around herself. "I don't think I can go back Hel. Not after what I've done."

It was the first time in a long time Hel saw the insecure teen part of Dinah resurface. "We can never take back what we've done Dinah. You've been in my head and you know just how much I wish I could change everything. All we can do is deal with the hand we've been dealt and move forward. What you said to me last night….it made me realize I was being a coward. And that was a bitter pill to swallow and I think that's why it pissed me off so much.

"But, I'm not going to let either of you down ever again. And I sure as hell am not going to give up on you now Dinah. I will walk through hell and back if it means I can set things right with my family. We can make it through this Dinah, but only if we stick together in this. So please…let Quinn and Jesse go and let's go home and heal."

The stone walls that Dinah had been building around herself over the last few weeks and months shattered under that emotional request. She sank against Helena once more, and buried her face in the brunette's shoulder. "I just want the voices to stop," she whispered hoarsely.

Hearing those words from Dinah, while they were standing inside Arkham's walls just struck something as perversely funny inside Helena. And she giggled, before she could stop it. Dinah's head snapped up, her eyes flaring in anger for a moment, before her own mind caught up with the brunette's line of thought. The teen paused, and then she too giggled.

And something inside both young women broke as they clung to each other laughing and crying, as the irony of their lives caught up with them in that moment. It was the first step in exorcising the ugly demons that haunted them, and it was the final blow to the cold and vengeful hatred that had surrounded Dinah all these weeks.

"I promise you Dinah…somehow I will help to make this right. We'll find a way, but if you keep this up, you'll only undo everything that we try. So what say we call it a night and head home?"

Dinah's answer never came verbally, but she finally relented. With a gasp, Helena found her mind dropped sharply back into her own head, and her world went pitch black once more. She staggered a bit, exhaustion seeping into every pore of her body with the force of a Mack truck hitting her, and it was only because of Dinah's strong grip that she stayed upright.

The spinning noise stopped, and there was the sound of a small metallic object bouncing along the concrete. Helena heard two more bodies begin to shift and then the click of a gun hammer being drawn back.

"Don't think I won't hesitate to put one in your skull Quinn. Dinah may have stopped me the first time, but I won't miss again," Reese threatened harshly.

"Helena, Dinah, you need to get out of there. SWAT has already breached the facility and I have slowed them down but they are only a couple of minutes from cutting through the last of the security doors."

Dinah helped Helena lean against the wall and then took quick steps towards Quinn, who promptly shrank back in fear from the blonde. Dinah, didn't let up though, and when she had the former psychiatrist backed into a corner, she grabbed the older woman by the front of her coveralls and leaned in.

"I should just tell you're heart to stop beating right now and save everyone the trouble of keeping you alive," the teen ground out. "You aren't worth a bullet, let alone three squares and a hot shower a day. But Helena's right. You definitely aren't worth what's left of my soul. So say goodbye to everything you've ever known Harleen, because my face is the last thing you are going to remember of this life. You are about to be given a clean slate. Let's all hope you decide to do something a little better with your life in the future."

"No wait! It doesn't have to be-," Quinn's pleas were cut off as Dinah's hand slid up into Quinn's short hair and tightened.

The teen closed her eyes and bent her head in extreme concentration as Quinn's eyes widened and then rolled up into her own head. The link lasted for only a few seconds and then Dinah stepped away from the unconscious woman, visibly shaken.

"Dinah?" Helena asked quietly.

"It's done. Before...I just blocked her memories. But this time I have wiped them completely. I have left her only with a few basics of herself and her past. She knows nothing of who she is now or of the world she became a part of," Dinah answered. She looked up towards the camera. "How are we getting out of here Oracle?"

"There is a janitor's corridor just outside the door behind you. Inside is a ventilation shaft that leads down into the basement. You can drop into the sewer system from there."

"And the night just keeps getting better," Helena muttered as she shoved away from the wall and swung her head towards Reese. "Jesse?" she asked quietly.

"I got it covered from here Helena. Just get the hell out of here before they break through. But expect me to be by for an explanation when this is all over with."

Helena nodded. "You deserve it," she admitted quietly. "I'm sorry to drag you into the middle of this again Reese, but thank you."

Dinah was slipping an arm under Helena's shoulder, helping both to support and guide her as they made their way out of the room and away from the Asylum.

Barbara released a harsh breath and dropped her head into her hands with a silent sob of relief. Alfred rested both hands on her shoulders now, and despite his earlier gesture of confidence, she could feel the slight tremble in Without looking back, she moved one hand up and rested it atop his, and squeezed gently.

Things had been too close once more. Barbara's mind spun as she desperately tried to figure out a way to help her youngest protégé. It was Alfred's quiet words of wisdom that finally got her mind on the right track.

"Perhaps it is time to seek out some trusted old friends for aid with Miss Dinah. Someone who can empathize with her talents?" he suggested gently.

Barbara's sharp mind immediately honed in on the one and perhaps only person who could help her. But her hands hovered over her keyboard. Two seconds later, her apprehensions over breaking her anonymity as the Oracle were squashed in the face of desperation. Besides, if any of them knew her true identity, it would be him.

As her eyes tracked her partners' swift return, she placed the call.


	11. Solace

"God, the two of us must really be a sight right now," Helena mumbled, as Dinah stumbled nearly sending the two young women crashing into the side of the elevator.

The teen was helping to support most of Helena's weight as her exertions, both physical and mental had over taxed her still healing body and given her a crippling migraine. But Dinah wasn't much better off herself. Between her own injuries from the previous evening's fight, the backlash of Helena breaking through her guard, and the constant onslaught of mental noise she already had to deal with, Dinah was struggling to remain upright.

Had she the strength, she might have snorted in wry amusement at Helena's statement. As it was, she could barely manage a grunt of acknowledgement. Already she was being overwhelmed by the waves of concern that were rolling off Barbara and Alfred as they approached the upper floors. As the doors opened she winced visibly and gasped as those emotions hit her full force.

"You ok D?" Helena asked, not so out of I that she didn't notice her partner stiffening, or hear her quick intake of air.

"No," was all Dinah could grit out for a few seconds. Helena's concerns were added to the waves bombarding her and she grabbed her head with her free hand and groaned as she sagged against the elevator wall.

"What's wrong Kid?"

"Too much….please…." Dinah begged.

In her half lucid state, it took Helena a moment to decipher what Dinah was asking for but then she immediately attempted to clamp down on her emotions even as she heard Barbara and Alfred moving towards them voicing concerns.

"Do you need for us to try and block our emotions out right now Dinah?" Helena asked more for Barbara and Alfred's benefit than Dinah's.

"Please," the blonde hissed.

Helena heard the other two pause as they took in this information, and then a moment later Dinah began to relax against Helena's side.

"Is that better Dinah?" Barbara asked soothingly.

"Yes….thank you."

"Come my dear Miss, I have some snacks and hot cocoa waiting for you in the kitchen, before you retire upstairs to clean up. I think a warm stomach and a hot soak afterwards should aide in full nights rest," Alfred said as Barbara moved forward to offer Helena her support so Alfred could tend to Dinah.

"Yeah….that sounds really good right now," the teen mumbled as she allowed herself to be lead off towards the kitchen.

"Dinah?" Barbara said before the girl was out of the room. The teen turned to look at Barbara, her young face wracked with an agony the older woman couldn't even begin to fathom. It took everything in Barbara's willpower to camp down on the emotions that surged forth as she saw the girl in such pain.

"Dinah, we will get through this. I promise you that. I'll be damned if I let that woman tear this family apart again. Do you trust me to help you through this?"

Dinah hesitated and then nodded. "You've always been there for me Barbara…all of you have. I'm sorry I let you down tonight by what I did," she whispered as she hung her head in shame.

"Dinah, all that matters is that you didn't kill her and you are back home safe."

"But not sound," Dinah couldn't help but remark her lips curling at the irony of the whole situation.

"I don't think any of us are right now, but we will be with time. You've read me and know what it was like when I was first paralyzed. It took time and a lot of hard battles to get to where I am today. But we can come through if we rely on each other for support. Will you be willing to do that?"

Dinah looked up, pale blue eyes burning with determination for the first time in a long time. "You guys are the only family I have left. I don't want to lose you either." It was the first time in weeks that the insecure teen half of Dinah began to show through

"And you won't. Now let Alfred work his magic and I'll be in to check on you in awhile after I tend to Helena."

As soon as Alfred had led Dinah off, Barbara turned her attention to the brunette, who was leaning heavily against her chair. Her gaze was staring blankly ahead, and pain and exhaustion were plainly written into every inch of face.

With a sigh, Barbara rested a hand gently of Helena's. "Come on Hel, let's get you cleaned up," she said softly.

The brunette limped after Barbara and allowed the older woman to help her out of her clothing until she was sitting on the med table in a bloodied tank top and underwear. "Pulled some stitches didn't I?" Helena asked as Barbara sighed heavily as she took in the damage.

"And then some. You're feet are a mess, and did you fall?" Barbara asked as she took in the road rash on both of Hel's knees and the deep abrasion on her right palm.

"I didn't exactly have time to pull on my Huntress gear or boots," Helena reminded Barbara. "And yeah. My knee gave out on a couple of landings and misjudged a couple of others. My depth perception was off."

"Depth perception?" Barbara asked, trying valiantly not to get her hopes up too much as she took in Helena's blind gaze.

"Last night, when the kid pushed me too far, something inside me snapped. Next thing I knew, I was tapped into this…primal part of me that I've kept locked away. My senses went into overdrive and for a few minutes, I could see. But it wasn't like my normal vision. It was like infrared or heat vision I guess. Enough to let me make out my surroundings and people, but it's hard to judge distances."

"So when you left…you were able to tap into that again? You really were looking at me?"

Helena heard the rising hope in Red's voice and nodded gingerly. "Yeah," she sighed, and then winced.

"Lasted long enough for me to get there," she grunted as a sharp stab of pain lanced through her skull. "Leaves me with a bitch of a headache though."

Which brought Helena back to why she'd even needed to go out in the first place. "What are we gonna do about the kid Barbara? I have to make this right….but I don't know how. If we don't help her regain control somehow and fast….she'll snap for sure. And god help us all if that happens," she whispered.

Barbara's hands shook a bit after Hel made that statement, realizing just how powerful her young charge had become. "I contacted a friend shortly before the two of you arrived. His powers rival Dinah's, and I think he is perhaps the only one at this point that can help her. He was already aware of her psionic abilites, and knew the situation was becoming critical with her. He wants to take her away for a little while to give her a break from all of this and to train her."

"Who is it?"

"J'onn J'onzz."

"The Martian Manhunter?" Helena asked, wincing after her head snapped up too quickly in surprise.

"Yes."

"Wow," was all Helena could manage.

They were both silent for a little while as Barbara focused on the task of patching Helena back up. "The kid is probably already aware of everything, but you had better make sure this is all okay with her as soon as you go up to check on her."

"I planned on it. J'onn wanted to come down here immediately, but I talked him into letting things wait until the morning so that we can all talk about a few things."

Helena simply nodded, to exhausted and sore to do much more at the minute. Fifteen minutes later, Barbara had finished her gentle ministrations, and had fetched Helena some clean clothes. "Let's go talk with Dinah before she heads to bed and then you can soak in my tub."

"'k." Helena mumbled as she slid gingerly off the table and reached out for Barbara's shoulder when her knee protested against the weight being put back on the injured joint. They moved slowly up to Dinah's room, where the teen was laying on her bed staring up at the ceiling.

"How are you feeling?" Barbara asked her.

"A little better."

"Liar," Helena countered as she sank onto Dinah's bed, knowing full well that the girl was severely hurting inside.

"Hel," Barbara sighed.

Dinah snorted however. "It's okay, she's right. I still feel like shit. And don't lecture me on my language, because if you were going through what I'm going through right now you'd say the same exact thing. Actually you'd manage to make it even more colorful with your extensive vocabulary and you would think it in at least three different languages," the blonde smirked.

Barbara opened her mouth, shut it and then chuckled. "You're right," she allowed. Her expression gentled, and knowing that Dinah was now fully aware of her every thought and emotion, she tried to project as much calm and love as she could towards the girl.

"Dinah, you're aware of the call I made this evening?" she asked.

Dinah nodded, and looked at the floor. "Yes."

"Are you okay with going with J'onn?"

"Can he make the noise stop?" she asked her eyes raising to meet Barbara's. There was so much pain and torture in that look that Barbara couldn't help but feel her heart break. She reached out and drew Dinah into a fierce hug.

"If anyone can it would be him. J'onn has been through a great many trials in his own lifetime, and like you, he possesses an ability that none of us can even begin to understand. I believe he will want to take you up to the Watchtower for a short while, because I know he has developed a special area that can completely shield him from all thoughts."

"The Watchtower?" Dinah asked, pulling back a look of increasing interest growing on her young face.

"First she let's you drive the Hummer. Then you get to be the first one to go meet all the Justice Leaguers at their base…in space," Helena grumbled good naturedly, having heard the mild excitement in Dinah's tone when she found out that she could be going to the Watchtower. She wished she could see the younger woman's face right now, because she was sure that a tiny spark of her old self had to be showing in her eyes.

Barbara felt a genuine smile creep onto her face for the first time in months. "It is truly an amazing place and it's been years since I was last there so I can only imagine what the League has done to improve it over the last decade. But Dinah I want to make sure that you are truly okay with going with J'onn and being away from us for a little while."

Dinah looked down at her sheets, and then nodded before she met Barbara's gaze. "I can feel myself slipping Barbara," she admitted in a shaky whisper. "A part of me is sickened by what I've been doing…what I nearly did to Quinn. But there is a growing part of me that says she deserved all of it and more.

"There are things in my head that no person should ever experience. Things that no one should ever think, or hear, or see. I can't block out anyone's thoughts, and every day I'm one step closer to becoming just like her. Helena was right….if I do lose control….God help us all, because it will take the whole damn League to bring me down now."

Barbara and Helena were shaken deeply by that statement. Helena knew first-hand just how powerful Dinah was. But it was another thing to hear the person who wielded that power make such a bold statement. Especially when such a statement was true.

"I have to do this…I need to do this. If we have any chance of putting this family back together, then I have to go and get my head straightened out. Besides….after tonight, maybe it would be good for me to get away for awhile."

Barbara nodded and looked at her folded hands for a few minutes. "This whole experience has made me look very hard at our lives and realize something important. There is nothing that will ever come before my family…not even the Life. Bruce and I always disagreed on that, and in the end, I think that's why he took everything so hard- because he felt that he didn't have anyone to lean on for support. He couldn't let himself lean on anyone. But I'm not like him," she said firmly.

"Even if Hel wasn't blind, and you were still stable, I had decided that maybe it was time for all of us to take a break for awhile…perhaps even permanently."

Helena's head lifted with that statement. Dinah's head tilted to the side. "You weren't sure if you really meant that until you just said it," she stated, her eyes widening. "But you would do it…you'd give it all up for us."

Fully knowing that she didn't do well when it came to emotionally laden conversations, especially when it was her own emotions involved. Barbara merely nodded and stated simply. "I would."

"Promise me one thing while I'm gone?" Dinah asked after several silent moments.

"Anything Dinah."

"The two of you have gotten so used to hiding behind your masks, that you've stopped being open with each other. You can't hide from me, but you're hiding from each other…and if you're honest, you know that you're hiding from yourselves as well. Promise me you will open up to each other…really open up to each other. Because if you don't, then nothing will ever be resolved."

Barbara looked over at Helena, who was blindly looking her way as well. The redhead was sure that the look of trepidation on Helena's face was mirrored on her own. But with a soft sigh she nodded. "I know Helena and I have a lot to talk about, things that neither of us have felt comfortable talking about yet. But I promise you Dinah, that while you are away, we will try to address them."

That seemed to be enough for the young woman. "Then if it's all the same to you Barbara, I'd really like to get some honest to god sleep and I can't do that here. Do you think we could call J'onn now?" she asked somewhat shyly.

Barbara suddenly noticed the duffle bag that was already packed and ready to go in the corner of the room, and the fact that Dinah was wearing a loose tee-shirt and her yoga pants. An outfit that was versatile enough that it could be traveled or slept in.

She smirked a tiny bit. "I'll go give him a call," she said rolling out of the room. Helena moved to stand, but Dinah reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Stay for just a minute Hel. I need to talk to you about something else before I leave."

Ten minutes later, Barbara knocked softly on the door frame. Helena was still sitting on Dinah's bed, with a slightly disturbed and troubled look on her face. But she wiped it off as soon as she realized Barbara had returned, causing the redhead to wonder what exactly the two younger women had been discussing in her absence.

She let it slide went a slight movement from her side reminded her that introductions were in order. "Helena, Dinah, I would like for you both to meet J'onn J'onzz," she introduced as the tall green Martian moved up behind Barbara as she entered the room.

Barbara noticed that Dinah's eyes had widened. "I didn't even hear you!" she whispered. "You're mind is silent."

The tall green alien gave the teen a kind smile. "Something that you will be able to accomplish in no time at all with a little help Dinah," he assured.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both finally ladies. I have heard a great many things about the newest defenders of New Gotham over these last few years. Your work has been most impressive and has earned the respect of the League. I had hoped that our first meeting would have been under different circumstances however," he said with genuine regret as he took in Helena's sightless gaze, and Dinah's troubled thoughts.

He rested a hand on Barbara's shoulder, sensing the burden of guilt she was carrying. "Barbara Gordon, you have done a remarkable job here. To have risen from the ashes like the Phoenix symbol you've chosen, and become one of the most valuable assets to the League despite the tragedy that struck you down….you continue to amaze even me my friend," he said in a warm voice as his gaze bore into hers.

"I can sense the turmoil and guilt within you however. It is a burden all who live this life are faced with at one time or another. But this too shall pass, and you will once again triumph over the obstacles. Have faith in yourself and in those you care for," he told her sagely.

Barbara looked between Helena and Dinah and then back up at J'onn. "I do," she said, firmly believing that they would indeed rise above the devastation that had been wrought on their small family.

"Dinah Lance, are you ready to find the peace your mind so desperately seeks?"

"Yes," she all but pleaded.

"Then say goodbye to your family properly and meet me downstairs when you are done," he instructed before nodding a farewell to Barbara and then left.

For the first time in months, Dinah allowed hope to build within her. She was scared of herself. What had happened earlier in Arkham with Quinn…..it was like she had become a different person. She didn't know herself any more, and the cold creature she had become terrified her.

Now someone was offering her a chance to sort through the mess in her head- someone who could possibly understand exactly what she was going through. Someone she knew she could trust. J'onn was her one chance to try and piece back what was left of her old life. A life she suddenly realized she wanted back very badly.

Without warning, she grabbed Helena who was sitting next to her still and hugged her fiercely. "I'm so sorry about what I said last night," she whispered.

Despite the renewed flare of discomfort, Helena hugged Dinah back just as hard. "It's okay Dinah. We were both mad, and not in our right minds. But you were right- about everything- and I'm sorry that we are even at this juncture in our lives. Just promise me you'll come back the same Sunny D you were before Quinn fucked up our lives."

Dinah smiled at the affectionate nickname, and nodded against Helena's shoulder. "I'm gonna give it my best shot Hel," she promised. "You just remember what I said okay?"

Helena nodded once, swallowing hard.

The teen picked up her bag and walked to the door where Barbara was waiting. "I promise to keep in touch with you," she told her mentor as she leaned down to hug her as well.

"Just remember that not all battles are won overnight Dinah. You are going to have your bad days, but it will get easier over time. And anytime you need to talk to us you know you are only a call or a short transport away okay?"

"Thank you…..for really believing in me."

"Always sweetheart. Now go get some real sleep," Barbara said with a genuine smile. Yes, she was sad to see her youngest partner go, but knowing that she was in safe hands and about to receive the help she so desperately needed, brought Barbara peace of mind.

With one final goodbye and kiss to Barbara's cheek, Dinah slipped past her and several moments later, Barbara heard the familiar hum of a Watchtower transport. Helena had collapsed back onto Dinah's bed, tears in her eyes, and Barbara rolled over to the bed and transferred herself onto the mattress next to the younger woman.

Helena allowed Barbara to hold her as she wept. "Is it really going to be okay?" she asked finally, afraid to let herself hope that there could actually be a light to this tunnel of hell they had all been through.

"As long as we rely on each other, you know it will be Helena. If you and I made it through that first year together, we sure as hell can beat this," the redhead said, her old determination resurfacing.

Helena relaxed in her partner's embrace, finally allowing herself to be comforted by her presence and her words. For the first time in weeks, she dropped off into a deep and untroubled sleep. Barbara lay there holding Helena, finally believing the words she had spoken, and listened as Helena's breathing evened out and slowed as sleep claimed her.

Exhaustion finally overtook the redhead, the events of the night having taken its toll on her as well. Without even being aware of it, she too quickly dropped off into a peaceful slumber, free of the nightmares that had been plaguing her for months.

On his way to the second guest quarters that Alfred used as his own on occasion, he paused to look in on the two women and smiled fondly. He had found the two of them like this on numerous nights during their first couple of years together…their desperate need for a quiet night's sleep compelling them to seek the comfort of the other.

It had been a good many years however, since he'd seen them seek out the other for comfort in such a physical manner. But it was a very good sign that things could finally begin to get back to normal. Well, he chuckled inwardly to himself as he covered them with a blanket and turned off the light. As normal as things could ever be in this household, he amended in amusement before he too retired for the night.


	12. Silence

The first thing Dinah noticed as she transported into the Watchtower was that the noise in her head immediately diminished to tolerable levels. She couldn't help the choked sob that escaped her throat and J'onn rested a knowing hand on her shoulder.

"Out here, the vastness of space offers us a peace that is hard to find on Earth. It is the main reason why I choose to reside here," he informed her. "The Watchtower is home to several of the League at any given time, but you will find that those who tend to stay the longest are the ones who are the calmest or have natural abilities to shield themselves."

"I haven't had this much quiet since I touched her…not even the drugs…" she broke off, humiliated by her acts of desperation.

"While your choice to resort to illegal means in an effort to seek peace of mind were obviously disappointing, they are understandable," he said, his tone gentle to take the sting out of his rebuke. "Now I'm sure you would like a tour of the facility, and I know there are a few of our residents who are eager to meet you. However it has been a rather long evening for you and I think it would be best if we retire for the night and you can face tomorrow refreshed."

Dinah nodded wearily, as she yawned massively, her body reminding her that it was in desperate need of sleep. J'onn chuckled quietly and led her through the semi-deserted halls of the Watchtower. With the noise level reduced so drastically, Dinah found her mind beginning to shut down even as she trudged after the Martian, every step growing more and more heavy.

The teen vaguely noted several others engaged in various tasks or leisurely activities as they passed by a number of work areas and common rooms. She made a mental note of where the kitchen was, knowing that would be an important place to explore further at a later time. A couple of people passed them, nodding their greetings even as their eyebrows raised at the sudden appearance of the girl on their station.

Dinah could sense the private lines of thought J'onn was directing at each individual, but his control was so fine-tuned that she wasn't able to actually read what he was sending. She drew up short however when they passed a tall blonde man dressed in casual green sweats and black t-shirt. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a chiseled jaw framed by an equally blonde beard and mustache. His eyes were a piercing light blue.

He quirked an eyebrow at her and then looked over at J'onn who was obviously busy communicating with the man telepathically even as he quickly began steering Dinah back down the hall. "Who was that?" she mumbled tiredly, feeling a sense of familiarity that she couldn't quiet place.

"One of the Justice League that you will be introduced to soon. As I said, many of them are eager to meet you. But you my dear are in need of some much needed rest as you can barely stay on your feet" J'onn answered, subtly deflecting her curiosity for the time being.

They finally arrived in front of a plain looking door with funny lettering on it, J'onn showed her the access code and how to gain entry into what was his quarters. As they stepped inside and the doors shut behind them, Dinah's mind was finally filled with completely blessed silence.

Her eyes closed and she sagged to her knees in utter relief. "How..?" she choked out after a few moments.

"I had these quarters specifically built for me and even I have need on occasion for completely silence," he admitted. "My quarters are yours for the duration of your stay and any time you need to have solace from the noise of the world, Dinah Lance."

"Thank you," she whispered, as she looked up at him with tears of gratitude in her eyes.

And then everything caught up with her and she promptly passed out. J'onn smirked a tiny bit, having expected this. A quick mental brush of his calm mind against hers assured him that she was slipping into a deep, healing sleep. He picked her up with ease and carried her over to his bedroom where he removed her boots and then tucked her into bed. He pulled the door to his bedroom closed before settling himself on the low couch that he often used for mediation.

Savoring the peace of his quarters as well, the Martian slipped into a light meditative state, pondering how he would proceed with this youngling, and deal with any potentially volatile issues that might arise in the near future.

He pulled himself out of his meditative state for just a moment as he opened his mind to his closest friend. _Kal-El I have a favor to ask that I will explain in greater depth later. Can you please arrange for Oliver to be…occupied off station for the next several days? _

He could feel Kal's puzzlement, but J'onn never asked for anything unless it was extremely important and Kal-El never questioned J'onn's judgement in any matters. _I will see to it my friend. _

_My thanks old friend. I will explain further when you return, however I think by then you will understand my request. _

J'onn broke off contact at that point and resumed his mediation for the rest of the night, allowing himself to remain just alert enough to assuage Dinah's mind if her dreams began to grow too disturbing for her to rest peacefully. Thankfully, her resilient mind needed only the slightest of nudges which indicated that her healing would progress smoothly.

And if this girl was a pupil of Barbara Gordon, her training would progress just as adeptly.

A soft knock on J'onn's door brought the Martian out of his meditation. He smiled when he reached out to see who was standing outside his door. Allowing entry, he stood to quietly greet Diana.

"The other's have told me that you've been sequestered in here for almost two days with the girl you brought. I figured the two of you could probably use a meal at the very least," she told him as she set the tray she brought in down on the coffee table.

"Your thoughtfulness is as always greatly appreciated Diana," J'onn said genuinely. He gestured for her to sit as he lifted the lid to reveal a few of his preferred foods. "As observant as ever I see," he added with a smile.

"So who is she J'onn? The others said only that you told them telepathically that she's a touch telepath that needed shelter and training immediately and that you would explain later. Seeing as how you of all people don't just bring people up to the Watchtower, you've definitely piqued all of our curiosity a great deal."

J'onn had been pondering what he would tell the others, and who he would entrust with certain information. He of course had known that Barbara Gordon had taken up the mantle of Oracle. Dick Grayson of course was well aware of this fact, along with Carolyn Lance. Kal, Diana, and Oliver heavily suspected Oracle's true identity, but respected Oracle's wish for anonymity.

But when Barbara contacted him, she had come to accept that her identity would most likely have to be revealed to the League. If Dinah was to travel to the Watchtower, the League's very own base of Operations, they had every right to know who they had amongst their midst. And there was just no way getting around Dinah's connections.

But J'onn had decided that perhaps Oracle's identity could remain relatively secret. He would inform Kal Diana, and Oliver of the full details surrounding the recent events in New Gotham. However, the rest only needed to know the barest of details, and if four of the most senior Leaguers found it acceptable, the rest would follow suite, understanding all too well the need for privacy.

"Diana, do you remember that Carolyn had a daughter some years back?" he asked, knowing she was the only other person in the League to be aware of that knowledge.

Diana's eyes widened. "You mean that's Dinah Lance in there?" Diana whispered in shock.

J'onn nodded. "Dinah is meta-human, like her mother. However, her powers manifested themselves in a considerably different fashion. Dinah's mind functions at a capacity that rivals mine," he informed the Amazon.

"Goddess. How is it that we are only just aware of this now? Did her powers just manifest themselves?"

"Young Dinah's powers have been manifesting themselves steadily throughout her life. It started with precognitive abilities, but progressed into touch telepathy and telekinesis. However, a series of rather recent tragic events have triggered an exponential growth in her powers. The most recent shattered what tenuous control she did possess and resulted in near disastrous situation. Thankfully, her family was able to stop things before they got too out of control. But they were forced to ask for outside help as none of them were capable of helping Dinah."

Diana was mulling over what he was saying. "J'onn….if her mother was Carolyn, who died in that explosion…well who is her family? I know Carolyn gave the girl up for adoption. Where did she end up?"

"Dinah was relinquished into the custody of a family known as the Redmond's. I doubt Carolyn would have allowed the girl to remain in their custody, had she known the abuse the girl would receive during her formative years due to her emerging talents. Dinah witnessed through her dreams, the devastating events that surrounded the night Joker shot Barbara Gordon, and had Selina Kyle murdered in front of her daughter."

"Oh Hera, the poor girl."

"Indeed. Dinah was plagued with those nightmares for years, but they were so real to her, she knew they weren't figments of her imagination, and gave her the strength to leave her foster family in search of the two individuals that her dreams focused on. Barbara Gordon and Helena Kyle. It took some convincing, but Barbara finally relented to become Dinah's legal Guardian."

"And given that we all know Barbara trained Helena to become Huntress, I'm guessing that she trained Dinah as well."

J'onn nodded. "She did, and Dinah flourished under Barbara's care and training. Barbara encouraged Dinah to hone her abilities, and for a time she was progressing well. However, when Carolyn traveled to New Gotham, her intentions were a bit more than what she led all of us to believe."

Here Diana smirked knowingly. "She was pissed as Hades, and was bent on getting her daughter out of the Life."

J'onn chuckled. "Very astute. And she nearly succeeded. She wasn't counting on how much stubbornness Dinah had inherited from her however. From what I can tell, mother and daughter mended the break in their bond shortly before Carolyn's unfortunate sacrifice. That was the beginning of Dinah's downfall."

"What pushed her over the edge?"

Here J'onn paused, and took a deep breath, signaling Diana that he was about to reveal something of significance to her. "We are all aware of the events that occurred in New Gotham several months back."

"I take it you are referring to the night Harley Quinn made the city go insane. Thank Goddess Oracle was able to step in and figure out how to break that…." Diana faltered and then paused as her mind began to recall the details and the pieces began to fall into place.

"Huntress brought Quinn down with two others that night. Oracle stopped the signal, but since then we haven't heard from Oracle. Huntress has dropped off the grid, and Kal was disturbed by some of the arrest reports coming in from New Gotham. Apparently, whoever had taken over for Huntress had some rather violent tendencies."

"Diana, what I'm about to reveal to you will most likely come as no surprise. But I'm sure you understand the need to keep this information limited to as few people as possible."

Diana smirked. "I knew that school teacher thing was just a front. I just couldn't see Barbara Gordon willingly sitting on the sidelines, knowing that she was the one who trained Huntress. And for anyone to become Oracle they would have to have access to a large bank account and advanced technology that hasn't even hit the market. There are only a handful of people on the planet with those kind of resources and an even smaller number of people with that kind of intelligence."

J'onn smiled. "Barbara did indeed become Oracle. But Quinn gained access to that knowledge by using Helena, and when she did, she ripped their lives apart," he said, his smile fading quickly as sadness filled his voice. "She hypnotized Helena and sent her after Barbara to kill her. Then she killed Barbara's boyfriend, took over their base of operations, and used Oracle's equipment to harm the very people they fight so hard to protect."

Diana felt her heart ache with that knowledge. "As if they haven't all been through enough? "

J'onn sighed heavily. "Barbara almost crossed the line that night. Helena kept her from killing Quinn, but Dinah realized that it was too dangerous for them now that Quinn was aware of their secret. So she linked telepathically with the woman to wipe her mind with devastating effects."

"Did she go insane?"

"Very nearly. Quinn, while as insane as her homicidal lover, also happened to be a gifted psychiatrist. She had extensive knowledge of the way the human mind works, and in the link, that shared knowledge unknowingly unlocked Dinah's full potential all at once. The result was devastating to say the least as she was able to control nearly everything, but her ability to shut out the noise of humanity in her mind. There have been some other rather distressing developments regarding the health and well being of her family that very nearly pushed her over the edge."

"Is Barbara ok?" Diana asked immediately.

"She is…coping for the time being. But just barely," J'onn admitted. "Helena could not handle the guilt of what she'd allowed to happen to her family and tried to take her life. Her father managed to just barely save her in time, but it is questionable whether she will ever fully recover physically."

"Bruce?" Diana gasped, feeling slightly light headed. No one had heard from him in years. She had a sneaking suspicion J'onn was always aware of Bruce's location, and that Kal most likely knew as well. But no one ever said anything, and she hadn't pushed.

"He has since left New Gotham." At the sudden flash of anger in Diana's eyes, the telepath quickly added. "It was at Barbara's request this time. Helena has held a great deal of animosity for Bruce all these years, and Barbara felt it would be best that he not be around during her recovery."

"What exactly happened to Helena?"

"She has lost her sight."

"Hera," Diana sighed heavily.

"The skilled Dr. Thompson is handling her care personally, so if anyone can help her, it would be Dr. Thompson. Thankfully, her current disability did not hamper her efforts to stop Dinah when she broke into Arkham two nights ago to kill Quinn. She managed to get through to the girl, and after the whole ordeal, Barbara contacted me asking for my assistance, realizing she could no longer aide Dinah."

"Things must have been pretty desperate if Barbara Gordon asked for help." J'onn simply nodded. "So how has the training been going?"

"Actually, Dinah has been asleep this entire time. She has not had a full nights rest in weeks, another factor that was contributing to her mental breakdown, and her mind was beginning to suffer damage from prolonged exposure to the mental noise she was being bombarded with. I have been keeping her nourished with supplemental and hydration injections, but as this time is finally allowing her mind and body to heal, I have been loathe to wake her."

"Two days? Wow. She really must be worn out. When do you anticipate that she will awaken?"

"She has started to show signs of more alertness over the last few hours. She is still soundly sleeping, but it is not the deep state of unconsciousness that it was yesterday. I think she may come out of it within the next eight hours or so."

"I know you need your rest as well J'onn. Meditation will only get you so far, and if I know you, you've been keeping careful watch over her this entire time. And you just got back from that avalanche in France, which means you haven't slept in four days."

"I am fully capable of going for a couple more without-,"

"Yes, yes we all know," Diana interrupted. "But I have a feeling that when she does wake up, you are going to need to be fully alert and ready for anything. So why don't you let me take over for a little while, so you can get a little shuteye yourself. You know I'm the best choice right now since the only other one around that can shield better is Kal and he's off with Oliver breaking in some of the recruits."

Both senior members smirked a bit at that. "I have a feeling that I am going to be in debt to Kal-El for some time to come."

Diana laughed quietly. "I was wondering why he insisted that Ollie go with him this mission. Don't get me wrong, Ollie's a great guy, but he's not exactly one of the best teachers in the League. You asked Kal to take him?"

"I did."

"Any particular reason?"

"Given that I'm inclined to take you up on your offer to keep an eye on Dinah while I catch up on some sleep, I believe I will save the answer for that until later."

"Fair enough. I'm going to go sit with her then and you get some sleep."

J'onn's lips twisted upwards at her authoritative tone. "Yes, your Majesty," he teased as she moved quietly into Dinah's room.

Suddenly, a little relieved that he could get a few hours of sleep himself, he quickly dropped off into a restful slumber.


	13. Purge

"Thank you Alfred. It was delicious as always," Barbara told the butler as he cleared away the remains of their dinner.

"As always, my pleasure Miss Barbara. Shall I bring the desert out now or do you ladies wish to wait a little while?"

"I think I need to digest a little bit before I can attempt to eat anything more," Barbara chuckled.

"Me too Al," Helena added quietly.

"Very well, if you require anything just call. I am going to tidy up the kitchen before I retire for the evening."

Barbara smiled at her old friend and then looked across the table at her silent dinner partner. Helena had been extremely quiet over the past week. Not sullen like she'd been before. But she had been very pensive, and the redhead wasn't sure if that was any better.

The most vocal Helena had been all week had been the day Leslie came over for her weekly check-up and began to chew Barbara out for allowing her patient to be injured like she was. Helena had quickly come to her partner's rescue, explaining everything and accepting full blame and Leslie's wrath.

After that, she'd said little to anyone. The brunette merely spent her days lounging out on the balcony, up on her favorite gargoyle, or in her room. Barbara had given Helena her space, but she was afraid that the younger woman would slip back into her deep depression if she didn't speak up soon.

Thankfully, Helena rescued Barbara from trying to figure out how she could delicately break the ice. "Barbara?"

"Yes Hel?"

"I was wondering…," the brunette seemed to lose her resolve and the older woman reached across the table and laid her hand over Helena's.

"It's okay Helena," she encouraged gently. "You know you can ask me anything right?"

She watched as unseeing blue eyes finally raised and a dark head nod once. Barbara didn't push, just let Helena bide her time to ask what she wanted. "Can you take me to see my mom?"

Barbara blinked. Helena hadn't visited her mother's grave since they'd buried Selina Kyle. "Of course," Barbara responded immediately. When Helena said nothing more, Barbara squeezed her hand and then backed slowly away from the table.

"I'll go get our coats, and let Alfred know that we'll be heading out."

Helena merely nodded and Barbara made her way into the kitchen. "Alfred, I think we'll be skipping dessert tonight. Helena and I are going to go out for a little bit."

Alfred raised an eyebrow, obviously intrigued by that statement. Ever the proper butler however, he didn't pry when Barbara volunteered nothing more. "Very well Miss Barbara. Then as soon as I have finished here I will retire to the Manor for the evening. I will leave the desserts in the refrigerator just in case though. If you require anything else, please do not hesitate to call."

Barbara smiled warmly at him. "I won't Alfred. Thank you for a wonderful dinner, and have a good evening."

"You as well Miss Barbara."

Barbara was almost out the door when she paused. "Alfred, there is one thing," she said looking back over her shoulder.

"Yes Miss Barbara?"

"Do you know the name of a florist in the area that might still be open?"

"Well it is still fairly early Miss Barbara, there are a few I could recommend. May I inquire as to the occasion?" he asked, unable to curb his curiosity completely.

Barbara gave him a sad smile. "Paying my respects to an old friend," was all she said.

It was all the older man's sharp mind needed. "Well in that case, there is a shop on the corner of Fifth and Erringer called 'From the Heart.' They always have a wide selection no matter what time of year. I hear their Tiger Lily's are most exquisite."

Barbara smirked. Leave it to Alfred to have known what Selina's favorite flower was. "I'll be sure to stop by there then. Thank you Alfred."

"My pleasure Miss."

Barbara retrieved jackets for her and Helena since the evenings were fickle enough this time of year to sometimes cool down drastically. She returned to the dining room, and found Helena staring blankly at the wall, her fingers toying nervously with her wine glass.

"You ready?" Barbara asked gently.

Helena drew in a deep breath and then nodded. "Yeah…I think so." She stood, unfolded the cane she'd been learning to use and made her way over to where Barbara sat. Barbara waited for Helena to grasp her chair, but the brunette shook her head.

"I'm actually getting pretty good with this thing," she said lifting the cane. "And the more I do this on my own, the more independent I'll be."

Barbara understood all too much just how important one's independence was after sustaining a crippling injury. She chuckled softly. "Well you certainly don't have to worry about me standing in the way of that. Besides, I've seen you wield escrima sticks."

For the first time in weeks, Helena's lips actually twisted up in a tiny grin. "I'm starting to appreciate that you made me practice blindfolded too. But just remember, you try any of the stunts on me right now that you did back then, I carry a much bigger stick now."

Barbara knew she probably had a goofy smile on her face at the moment, but she didn't care. Helena had not only grinned, she'd also just joked a tiny bit with Barbara. It wasn't much, but it was a definite start. "Come one Hel, let's get out of here. I could use the drive this evening."

The ride to the cemetery was made in comfortable silence. Barbara stopped at the florist that Alfred had directed her to, which was conveniently located only three blocks from the cemetery. Several minutes later, she and Helena were moving slowly towards the marble headstone that marked Selina Kyle's final resting place.

Pulling the two bundles of flowers from her lap, Barbara pressed one into Helena's hands, and then bent over to place her own on the ground in front of the headstone. The redhead brushed her hand over the engraved lettering and sighed. _I'm trying Selina_ she thought silently. _You trusted me with your most prized possession, and I'm trying to keep her safe. I will give my life before I let anyone hurt her again. I swear. _

Straightening, Barbara reached over to take Helena's hand in her own. "I'm going to go wait over by the Hummer. Take all the time you need Helena," she told the brunette.

Helena nodded, unshed tears shimmering in her eyes. With a final squeeze, Barbara released Helena's hand and headed back towards the Hummer. As soon as Helena knew that her partner was out of earshot, Helena swallowed and drew in a deep breath.

"Hey mom," she began quietly as she laid the flowers at the base of the headstone. "I'm sorry I haven't come to visit you. I just…" her voice caught and the tears trickled free finally. "God I miss you," she admitted finally with a choked sob. It was a few more minutes before she was able to speak again.

"I was so angry after that night. I hated you for leaving me, I hated everyone for trying to tell me it was going to be okay…I hated myself for not being strong enough and fast enough to save you. You always warned me about letting my emotions control me, but my anger and my stubborn pride were all I had left. I just wish I had listened to you. Then maybe I wouldn't have hurt the only people left in this world that I actually give a damn about."

Helena sank to her knees as her grief consumed her finally, and she curled a fist against the cold marble as soul-shaking sobs wracked her body. "Why did you have to go?" she whispered. With nothing but a dark canvas before her eyes, the young woman was helpless to block out the images of that horrific night so many years ago.

Brutal memories came crashing down on her and she relived that night with such vivid detail it was impossible to separate memory from reality. She could feel the rain against her skin. Saw the glint of metal before it sank into her mother's body. Smelled the copper tang of blood. Tasted the saltiness of her tears. The worst were the sounds however. The clatter of the blade as it hit the ground. The final gasping breaths her mother struggled to take in as blood invaded the blonde's lungs.

Selina's daughter had gone feral in those final moments and the girl had heard every bubbling wheeze her mother had made as she struggled to live. It was a brutal death and was torturous for both mother and daughter. When Selina Kyle could no longer fight the inevitable, she whispered her final words of love and then her breath left her in a sick wet gurgle of blood as her heart slowed and then stopped. Helena knew the exact moment her mother had died.

Back at the Hummer, Barbara was torn. She watched as Helena sank to the ground, finally finding release for the grief and pain she had locked away all of these years. The brunette's body shook violently as her sobs could be clearly heard by Barbara. The older woman knew Helena was long overdue in grieving and wanted to hurry back to Helena's side to offer her silent emotional support. But given how private Helena was when it came to facing the demons of her past, Barbara was loathe to do anything hasty that might cause the younger woman to retreat back into herself.

When Helena arched back on her knees, her fists curled tight at her side, and threw her head back in an inhuman scream of pain, grief and rage, Barbara was jolted into action. Before she realized it, she was by Helena's side, pulling the younger woman towards her as the brunette buried her head in Barbara's lap and clung desperately to the older woman.

They sat like that for a long time- Helena venting her grief within Barbara's safe embrace, until the sun had long vanished and the moon was claiming the sky for the night. After she could cry no more, Helena merely continued to hold onto Barbara, the occasional shudder running through her body, before the older woman's soothing hands and voice finally calmed Helena's wracked emotions.

It was well into an hour later that Helena finally released a shaky sigh and pulled back. Sensing that Helena had finally purged the worst of her grief, Barbara brushed a strand of unruly hair back from the brunette's face. "Would you like a few more minutes alone?" she asked. At Helena's nod, she silently withdrew.

Helena ran her fingers along the headstone and sighed. "I know you would have stayed if you could have," she said, her voice nothing more than a hoarse whisper. "But you did right by putting Barbara in charge of me. I think I would have gone down a darker path than you did if it weren't for Barbara. I never thought I could love anyone after I lost you, but she got through to me. Her, and Alfred, and the Kid. I wish…," Helena paused, her voice catching.

"I wish you'd told me about my father. I know why you didn't…I just…,"tears welled again. "I wish things could have been different between us," she admitted. "I don't know if we'll ever be able to bridge the gap now. But I guess it's time I tried isn't it? I'm just glad you decided to leave me with Barbara instead of him."

There was another long pause. "You knew just how much good I could do. You knew and you left me with the one person that could love me as much as you did and could show me how to my gifts to their fullest potential. And you knew that if I did that, I could protect her in return- because you cared for her as much as I do. I didn't understand that until recently, and I've nearly blown it. But I swear to you mom that I will do everything in my power to keep her safe. I don't know how yet, but I'll find a way to watch over them. I've let you down long enough. I've let everyone down. I promise to change that."

Helena knelt there silently for another minute before she kissed her fingers and brushed them over the engraving. "I love you mom," she breathed. Bending her head, she sucked in a deep breath and released it slowly. And for the first time since her mother's death, she felt a sense of peace settle over her that left her light-headed and dizzy.

Barbara was by her side in an instant. "Hel?" she asked, her voice tight with worry as Helena swayed on her knees unsteadily.

The brunette bent forward placing her hands on the grass as she sucked in deeper breaths, trying to absorb to rush of emotions that were running through her. When she finally lifted her head, Barbara gasped. Tears were streaming down Helena's face again, but she had the most beautiful smile.

"I'm okay Barbara….it's going to be okay," she answered with quiet resolve.

The redhead had uttered those same words countless times over the years, but in the deepest recesses of her heart, she admitted that even she wasn't sure they ever would be. But hearing those words from her younger partner, spoken with such faith and conviction, Barbara finally allowed herself to believe.

Cupping Helena's face in her hands as she wiped gently at the tears, Barbara leaned forward to rest her forehead against the brunette's and closed her eyes. "Let's go home Hel," she said finally, after placing a kiss against the top of Helena's head.

When the younger woman had climbed to feet, Barbara could see that a huge weight was finally gone from her shoulders. She watched as Helena brushed her hand along the top of the marker one last time. "I promise to visit you more now mom. I love you."

As the Hummer pulled away, a tall figure separated itself from the nearby shadows and slowly approached the grave the women had just left. Bruce Wayne reached out and traced the Selina's name and bent his own head with a sigh.

Placing his own bouquet of flowers next to Helena's and Barbara's, he whispered the same thing he did every time he visited her grave. "I'm sorry." Then he turned and faded back into the night.


	14. Embrace

"What's that?" Dinah asked as she studied the seemingly inconspicuous small piece of metal J'onn held up.

"Something Helena's father came up with many years ago. As a safety precaution, Batman developed and keeps in safe storage - the means to stop each and every single super-powered hero, should one of us go rogue or accidentally rampant. This device, when activated, emits a particular harmonic pitch that is inaudible, but generates a type of sound wave that makes it impossible for me to shape shift. If the wearer gets within fifty feet of me and I am in another form, my body will revert back to it's natural state."

"Wow, he's got something for everyone? Barbara never mentioned that," the teen said taking the device from the Martian to study it.

"She is the only person Batman trusted enough to have access to such fail-safe measures. Barbara doesn't know where they are hidden specifically, but stored away in that computer-like mind of hers is a data code that when inputted into either Delphi or the Bat Computer, will give her the locations of such devices. It was a truly ingenious pan on the part of Batman, because not even I can access such information. She has too many data codes floating around in her head for one to make any sense of it."

Dinah chuckled knowingly at that. "Yeah, when she goes in full Oracle programming mode, she projects that code breaking stuff so loudly I can practically _see_ the numbers floating around her head," the teen told him. But then she sobered a bit. "So, um does this mean I should expect him to whip something up to stop me?" Dinah asked a little nervous about that.

"This may already do the trick," J'onn answered. "Batman had to use this on me once, when I lost control of my consciousness to another alien, and we discovered that one of the side effects of the device was that the harmonic frequency also scrambled my telepathic abilities."

"Really?"

"While the experience was...unpleasant...I was thankful afterwards that Batman had had the fore-thought to take such measures as they were able to subdue me and expel the alien parasite that had gained control of my mind and body."

"So it hurts?"

"There are many forms and levels of pain, as you have begun to learn over the course of your training. While we can't hear this device, we can feel it as surely as if we could hear it. The experience is intense, and while not outright painful, it is decidedly uncomfortable and I was left with a mildly persistent headache for several hours after the brief exposure I had to the device."

"Sounds like fun," Dinah said sarcastically, as she reached out to take the small device and inspect it closer. "So I'm guessing you want to try this on me and see is if it works?"

J'onn nodded. "While some of the others took exception to Bruce developing such weapons against us without our knowledge, I think it was a prudent course of action. In his absence, I have taken up charge of making sure the world is safe from any threat that those of us with superpowers possess should another ...situation ever arise again."

"Which seems to happen all too often in this business," Dinah said softly, reflecting on everything that had happened with Quinn. "Well there is no need for you to be exposed to this thing too J'onn Why don't you send in one of he others and then I'll have someone that I can try to read once the device is activated."

J'onn nodded. "That sounds agreeable. Give me a moment and I will see who is available."

Dinah waited for a couple of minutes and then Flash was knocking on the door. She grinned when she saw him, because he alone had been able to make her feel like a kid again. Wally had seen his share of action and death over the years, but he steadfastly clung to that youthful lightheartedness that kept him considerably more jovial, that the rest of the Leaguers. The Flash had the respect of the other League members, but he was also infamous for his practical jokes, quick-if not sometimes corny- wit. Simply put, Wally gave Dinah hope that maybe despite everything she'd been through, she could keep just a bit of her old self.

"Did you bring me any food?" she asked with a grin.

He laughed and held up a small tub of Cookie Dough ice cream and a spoon. "After being cooped up in here with the Martian for the last two days training I figured you were dying for a sugar fix and I've been saving this for you."

"You're the best!" Dinah said in delight as she pounced on him to give him a hug and then claim the treat. She moaned in pure joy after the first bite. "God, we've been at this control thing for so long this whole week, that I haven't had much time for eating anything more than those nutritional bars we've had."

Wally gasped in mock horror. "You mean all you've had this past week are those nasty field ration bars? That is it! You are SO going to have dinner with all of us tonight. Diana and I are actually quite the cooking team. I think we should have a feast in your honor!"

Dinah giggled, blushing. "Wally, you'll use any excuse to have a feast."

"Hey! I can't help it that my metabolism is so high!" he grinned. "Now, what's this secret mission I'm on here?"

"Oh, J'onn didn't tell you?" she asked, surprised. When Wally perched on the edge of the couch and shook his head, Dinah set the ice cream container down as she levitated the small metal device over to her new friend.

He took it and then frowned. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Yeah, J'onn figured it was time to see if it works on me," Dinah said with a sigh of resignation.

"Damn Batman and all his contraptions. I mean I know why he did it, but still....you'd think that with all the technology he's got he could have come up with something not quite as painful for all of us," Wally said with a rueful chuckle.

"So what'd he'd make for you?"

"You wouldn't believe it," Wally said shaking his head. "It had the rest of the League very much in arms and I was none too happy about it at first either. But then after seeing a couple of the others go rogue, I decided it was for the best. One time, after celebrating a nice little victory, I thought I'd had a little too much to drink and passed out. Turns out Batman slipped me something so he could implant a device in my body that can stop me from using the Speed Force- which is where I derive most of my power and abilities from."

"Are you serious?!" Dinah gasped, shocked by such a revelation.

"Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction too. Robin and I had been best friends for so long by that point and I was furious that he let Batman do that. But I guess when a person can break the sound barrier, run at the speed of light, and even walk through walls, you have to take some drastic safety precautions before the need arises."

"Maybe, but they should have asked!"

"Probably. But I didn't even know about it until they needed to use it. Talk about energy crash!" But Wally just shrugged and gave her a wry grin.

"Man, that guy really is obsessed isn't he?"

"Batman? Yeah, he had a plan for everything....well almost everything," Wally amended with a sad smile. So far, most of the League still didn't know Dinah's whole story, and as such, they still referred to certain League members by their code names only. Thanks to some tampering of her records in case anyone got curious enough to look her up, all anyone knew was that she had run away from an abusive foster family after developing some rather powerful telepathic and a telekinetic abilities.

They had no idea she was living with Barbara Gordon, or that she herself was out fighting crime on a nightly basis under the mantle of her mother. Dinah knew she would have to change that soon however. These people deserved the truth now that she was more at ease around everyone and with herself. And she could still protect Barbara's dual identity.

"He didn't plan on Joker taking his revenge on the people he cared for the most that night though did he?" she said quietly, thinking back to the nightmares that had haunted her for years of that horrific night.

Wally arched an eyebrow. She trusted him, and decided to start with him. "Wally, you know that I ran away from an abusive foster family, but part of the reason was because I had visions of what had happened that night and I needed to find the two women in that dream. I saw Barbara get shot, and I saw Helena kneeling over her mother's body after she'd been stabbed. That dream plagued me for years, and when I couldn't stand being beaten and locked in a closet because I knew what I saw was real, I left for New Gotham. That was almost two years ago."

Wally stood up, his eyes sharpening. "So...you're saying...."

"That I know all about the Bat Family," Dinah supplied. "Huntress actually rescued me that first night in New Gotham, and was able to lead me back to Barbara. Barbara took me in, and allowed Huntress to train me."

"So you're the new partner huh? We'd heard rumors that Helena had been working with someone. Dick never talks much about her though since Helena has a major beef with anyone associated with the name Wayne."

"Considering that her father, the great and mighty Batman, abandoned her when she needed him the most, I don't blame her." Wally blinked at the vicious protectiveness in Dinah's tone, and she looked down and cleared her throat. "Sorry. It's just that when you work close enough with someone for awhile and you have the abilities I do, well you really get to know them. Bruce hurt her almost as much as her mother's murderer did."

"So how is Barbara these days?" Wally said, deciding to let the matter slide and changing topics.

"A little worse for the wear," Dinah admitted. "Helena and I were trying to track down the new mastermind of the criminal underworld in New Gotham. Turned out that Harley Quinn was posing as someone and was able to get close to Helena. She did what she does best and wreaked havoc on New Gotham and our family in general. Barbara's boyfriend was killed, Helena nearly killed Barbara, and well....everything just went to hell after that," Dinah said quietly.

Wally sank onto the sofa. "Oh my god!" he breathed in shock. "How come we never heard of this?"

"You know how this family is Wally. They play their cards very close to their chests until they are forced. Besides, Barbara's retired from being Batgirl, and Helena doesn't have any contact with the League or the rest of her family for that matter. Not even Dick knew about things until after they had gotten really bad. Now we're all just trying to recover from everything."

"Jesus. Poor Barbara! As if she hasn't been through enough," Wally said angrily.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I made that bitch pay for what she did to us. It's not something I'm proud of now, but she won't be bothering anyone ever again. But that's why I'm here. The night Quinn attacked, something happened and it was like all the blocks on my abilities were released all at once. I've been on overload for months now, unable to control my powers, and I started to snap. I broke into Arkham to kill Quinn, and Helena managed to stop me just in time, but when I got home Barbara realized that it was time for me to get help before I completely lost it."

"Wow...so what did you do to Quinn?"

"I wiped her mind free of all the bad that she had become. All that is left is the Harleen Quinzell that she was before she got wrapped up with the Joker."

"Wow...you can do that?"

"J'onn says I have the most powerful telepathic abilities that he has ever come across."

"Damn! No wonder you two have been working so hard this week. I can't imagine what it would be like to have my abilities and not be able to control them. I'd be wreaking some havoc of my own to be sure," he said with a chuckle.

And once again, Dinah was reminded why she liked this man so much. His easy-going nature allowed him to take everything in stride. "So what's your codename?" he asked grinning at her.

"Black Canary."

The frown was back. "That was-,"

"My adoptive name is Dinah Redmond, but my birth name is Dinah Lance. My mom was Carolyn Lance."

"Oh wow! Carolyn had a kid?!" he asked in complete shock. Then anger suddenly flashed across his face. "Wait a minute? She gave you up and let those people treat you like that?!"

Dinah gave him a sad smile. "My mom led a dangerous life and she did what she thought was right to protect me. And she thought the Redmond's would take good care of me. They did a good job...until my powers started manifesting themselves. My foster father suddenly became a religious zealot when that started however, and was bound and determined to 'chase the devil that possessed me out by any means necessary'. My mom never knew what was going on."

"Yeah, but she would have if she had at least checked up on you!"

"She did finally, and that's when she came to New Gotham. She wasn't happy when she found out I was working with Catwoman's daughter, even if Barbara was taking care of me now and had given me her blessing. We had this huge fight, but then the mob got her and...it really sucks to be trying to make up a lifetime of apologies and explanations when you only have moments to live," Dinah said looking away as tears started to form in her eyes.

Wally was crouching in front of her chair, sympathy and compassion in his eyes. "You were there when that warehouse exploded?"

Dinah nodded. "That bastard Hawk managed to survive, and we never found any bodies, so I keep hoping...but I think deep down I know she'll never come back this time."

"Well in this biz kid, unless you have a body or proof of a body, never give up," he told her as he squeezed her hands. He truly felt that too. He had no idea that no body had ever been found and Dinah could see from his memories that Carolyn was a slippery force to be reckoned with. She'd come out of more deadly situations than Wally could count, and he'd begun to believe she was pretty much invincible.

"I'll keep that in mind," she told him with a small thankful smile.

"Geez kid, you really know how to surprise a guy! Here we all thought you were just some powerful young stray pup that J'onn had picked up. Didn't even know Barbara had taken in another lost soul! I can't believe she's still teaching high school. With her brains she could be doing so much more!"

Dinah had to fight the smirk that threatened to give her away. "She really loves her job, and while she may have hung up her mantle, she still likes to keep Helena and I on out toes. You can take the woman out of the fight, but you can't take the fight out of the woman."

"That sounds more like the Barbara I know!" Wally laughed. "You know I think I'll pop in and say hi the next time I'm out for a run."

"Just make sure you call ahead of time. She hates surprises and right now things are a bit rough. It might be a little hard for people from her past life to just drop in on her."

"I'll be sure to ring her up first. Alright, let's say we get this experiment done with so I can go sweet talk Diana into helping me cook up some proper food for you. I'm sure the others would love to hear your story!"

"Yeah it would be nice to take a break tonight and relax. I haven't been able to talk much with the others and its really cool to be up here with like...the most famous superheroes of all time."

"Yeap," Wally said puffing his chest out in an exaggerated manner as he looks at his nail and then rubbed them on the front on his shirt. "I am pretty amazing aren't I?"

Dinah dissolved into laughter and Wally mock pouted. "Why is that always the reaction I get whenever I say that?" he lamented.

Dinah just giggled and then poked him telepathically. "Come on, let's get this over with. Oh by the way...as soon as you turn that on, I'm supposed to try and read your mind, so do the guess a number game or something for me."

"Gotcha. Here goes."

Wally had moved to the far side of the room and pressed the small activation button. The result was instantaneous. Dinah's entire equilibrium was thrown off and she swayed in her seat as an intense buzzing noise filled her mind drowning out everything. There was no way for her to find her balance in the noise and sensations that flooded her mind and she quickly asked for Wally to turn off the device.

He was at her side in an instant, a concerned hand steadying her. "You okay there Dinah?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she answered as she fought a small wave of nausea. "That thing really packs a punch though. Felt like someone was turning my head into Jello." Inwardly, Dinah was groaning because she knew Barbara would want to hook her up to the med-lab computer and run some tests on her while exposed to the device to see how it affected her on a physical level.

After a couple of minutes, the room stopped spinning, and the buzzing in her head began to subside. Thankfully, as her mind began to reassert itself, the ache began to subside until it was barely noticeable. A couple of Tylenol and some food would probably cure her of any lingering after effects.

"Well, that was fun," she said sarcastically. "I think I've definitely earned that meal tonight."

Wally grinned and clapped her on the shoulder. "Excellent! Let me go tell the Martian the coast is clear and round up Diana."

"Cool! Maybe I'll come help you guys. Alfred has been teaching me how to cook since I seem to be the only one who can go near the stove without it spontaneously combusting," Dinah grinned.

"Oh ho! You mean brainy Batgirl can't cook?"

"Let's just say we have learned not to let Barbara anywhere near an open flame. Helena has even forbidden her from use of the toaster as well. Of course, that's the only thing Helena seems to be able to use herself," the blond snickered.

"Good thing Alfred still hangs around then to help keep you ladies stocked and well-fed. Alright Dinah, I'll see you in a little bit."

"Thanks Wally," Dinah said sincerely, her gratitude carrying on several levels.

Wally ruffled her hair. "Any time Kid. And don't sweat the past okay? We all have our moments that we aren't proud of, but we're only human Dinah. What matters is that recognize where things went wrong and work to fix those mistakes. Your mom would be proud of you- never doubt that."

Dinah managed a shaky smile through her tears as his emotions truly backed up what he was saying. "Thanks," she whispered.

He left her then and Dinah walked over to the window to stare out at the Earth as it slowly rotated by. It was most definitely the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, and the view brought some peace in the wake of her small emotional turmoil.

J'onn came in to find her still standing by the window and immediately sensed her sadness. He walked over to her and settled a hand on her shoulder. "She was an amazing woman your mother. It is a shame you and she never got the chance to really know each other, because I think you would have had a lot to offer each other."

"Did you know my mom well?"

J'onn opened his mind to Dinah, allowing her to see all that he had to share. Dinah saw her mom as J'onn did, a woman who was fierce, loyal, stubborn, imperfect, and passionate about her work. The Martian had great admiration and respect for Black Canary as a crime fighter, and for Carolyn Lance as a woman.

Dinah finally broke from the link some time later with a choked sob. "Thank you...no one has ever been able to show me so much about my mom." And then she finally allowed herself to grieve for the loss of the woman she had spent her whole life wanting to see again.

Feeling that he was perhaps not the best person to comfort a grieving teenager, J'onn summoned Diana who came swiftly and took over care of the sobbing young woman in his arms. The Martian gave the Princess a look of gratitude and then quietly withdrew.

It was nearly a half hour later when Dinah's sobs had calmed into tiny hiccups and then sniffles as she felt the anger finally seep out of her body leaving only the lingering sadness. Diana fetched her a wet cloth and dabbed at her cheeks and forehead, whispering soothingly to the younger woman as she continued to offer her support.

Finally, Dinah looked up and managed a tiny smile as she sucked in a steadying breath. She looked around shyly noting that J'onn was nowhere to be seen. Diana chuckled. "J'onn is a remarkable teacher and the most patient of us all. But he does not cope well with emotional situations. He usually leaves that to those of us with more...maternal instincts."

"I appreciate everything all of you are doing for me. This power..all the anger that I let take hold of me...it scares me what I could do. But what I did to Quinn...I don't ever want to be that person again."

Diana brushed some of Dinah's blond hair back. "Dinah, many of us possess abilities and powers that we scare ourselves with sometimes. It is a burden each of us must bare, knowing that someone could always come up with a way to turn us into a weapon of mass destruction. And many have tried and succeeded to a degree on several occasions. But that is why we are always here for each other. You believe in your heart that your powers are to be used to help better mankind...to protect it. We will always be here to help keep you on that path, even if someone else tries to use your strengths against you."

"Do you think...do you think that Barbara and Helena will ever trust me again?" Dinah asked hesitantly.

"Family will always believe in you even when all other hope has been lost Dinah. If they didn't have faith that you could come through this, they wouldn't have turned to J'onn for help. I think when you return home, you will see that your lives will have finally begun to return to normal."

"God I hope so. I never thought I would just want to go back to school and have a normal life like the rest of the other kids. I know that It'll never be just like them, but honestly? All I want for the rest of the year is to worry about finals, finding a date for prom, and graduating."

"I think that all of you could use to step away from this Life for awhile and focus on what makes this fight so important to you. We can only carry on the crusade if we have that fixed firmly in our minds and hearts. Now, what say we go finish making you a proper dinner. I'm sure Wally has eaten half of what I laid out already and if we don't go rescue the rest of the food there will be nothing left to cook."

Tucking a stand of hair behind her ear, Dinah gave a tiny grin and nodded as her stomach rumbled in agreement with that suggestion.


	15. Confessions

I have one Authors Note to add here before you read his section. I will be playing with some JLA characters now. This proved to be a bit tricky since technically the BoP show is an AU from the normal DC universe. And to top things off there are several JLA canons that I could choose from...different people being, say Hawkgirl or Green Latern for example. As such I was faced with a choice as to who was playing what superhero during the time frame involved here.

I realize I might just be creating my own JLA here, but please remember that this is AU! So I hope you can roll with any violations I might have made and just enjoy this for what it is: a simple fanfic of my own creation. I hope you continue to enjoy this!

**Confessions**

Dinner was turning out to be a very festive affair for the evening. Everyone had been dying to get to know the young woman that J'onn had brought into their midst, and no one had been able to get much out of the few League members that had had any real contact with her.

Dinah, for her part, was happy to finally meet some of the people she'd heard or read all about, and had quickly recovered from her breakdown earlier. Her teenage curiosity resurfaced with a vengeance and she was firing question after question off to the various heroes that were gathered around the table. Diana, J'onn and Wally all traded a satisfied look, relieved to see teenage resilience hard at work in their new young friend.

Currently, Kyle Rayner aka the Green Lantern, was showing off some of the tricks his ring could do, and Dinah was testing her powers subtly against it, causing J'onn to smirk a tiny bit when the teen found it difficult to manipulate anything created by the power of the ring.

Once the flexing of super muscles were over, the conversation turned back to Dinah and J'onn sat back to see how the teen would field the questions. The first was of course a natural lead into perking everyone's interest up immediately. "So Dinah, where are you from?" Hawkgirl asked over a bite of her dinner.

"Originally I'm from a small hick town in the middle of nowhere called Opal. But I've been in New Gotham the last year and a half now."

"New Gotham you say? Well that's an interesting city to wind up in. What drew you there?" Kyle asked casually.

"The first of my abilities developed when I was very young. It was precognition, and I had these reoccurring nightmares. They were of the events that happened the night the Joker took down Batgirl and Catwoman. I saw everything that happened and couldn't get them out of my mind. When I realized my foster family would never accept me for who I was was and the powers I had, I ran away to find Barbara and Helena. Barbara took me in and became my legal guardian. Helena wasn't so big on the idea because she felt I would cramp her style as Huntress."

Kyle smirked and shook his head. "Yeah that sounds like her. She's as territorial as her old man, but far more reckless if you ask me. I can't believe she holds that city down on her own like she has these past few years."

"Barbara managed to talk her into training me as a partner. To her, I'm the junior sidekick, but we've been doing pretty good as a team this past year....until Quinn set up shop and all hell broke loose."

"What has Barbara been up to all this time anyway? You can't tell me all she does is teach." Plastic Man asked.

"Teaching is pretty demanding of her time. But she still does some R&D stuff for Wayne Industries on the side. Testing geek and tech stuff for them." Dinah answered with an innocent look and disinterested shrug.

Diana had to take a sip of her drink to hide her grin. None of the others had any idea that Barbara was Oracle and Dinah wasn't giving anything away. "So I take it you were there to help bring Harley down? I heard that was quite a mess. I know Huntress is very independent, but if you ever need help Dinah, don't hesitate to ask. We're always here to help each other out."

"Yeah, well I think we're going to take a break from the whole vigilante gig. Huntress my actually be out of the game now. She was badly injured in the fallout of that nightmare, and I don;t know if she'll ever recover fully enough to hit the streets again."

That brought stunned silence to the table. "What happened?" Kyle finally asked.

Dinah shifted in her seat and pushed the remains of her dinner around. "Quinn really messed with all of our heads that night. She hypnotized Helena, gained control of some high tech computer equipment Barbara was testing, killed her boyfriend and then set Helena out to kill her own family. Thankfully Barbara was able to get through to her before she did that, and Helena took Quinn down. Then Oracle stepped in and managed to undo what Quinn had done to the rest of the city. But there was an...incident not too long after that, and Helena's lost her vision. I came into contact with Quinn's mind and it unlocked my full potential all at once and I didn't know how to control it. Barbara finally thought it best for J'onn to help me."

"So J'onn is your Master Yoda eh?" Wally asked, steering the conversation to a less emotional subject. "And how is your young padawan faring J'onn?"

A few at the table chuckled at the joke, absorbing the information they'd been given and allowing the change in subject. It was clear Dinah was still healing from a major trauma and were respectful of the need for her to heal. Dinah was grateful for their willingness to let the matter rest for now.

"Most excellent. Dinah just needed some gentle guidance, and practice. The Watchtower has allowed her the chance to finally rest from the 'noise' she was being bombarded with back on Earth, and to develop a natural shielding. I think continued exposure in small groups here on a free and regular basis now will help to strengthen those shields. Another week or two and she will be ready to start traveling back to Earth for periods of time to start exercising her mental control until shielding is a natural part of her telepathic abilities."

"So what's your codename?"

Wally chuckled, and was rewarded with a raised eyebrow from Kyle. "Make sure you aren't eating anything when she tells you because I was shocked as all hell when she told me." Flash smirked.

Dinah blushed a little and tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. "I um, took my mom's codename after she died last year. My mom was Black Canary."

That caused quite a stir from the small group. "I was not aware that Carolyn had a daughter." Hawkgirl commented, from where she had been listening carefully the whole time.

"Yeah, not a lot of people knew. Mom thought it would be safest for me that way, and that's why she gave me up for adoption. I never really understood it until the mob came after her as soon as she showed up in New Gotham to find me."

"Wow....I can't believe she had a kid out there all this time and we never knew about it!" Kyle said, completely floored.

Once again, Hawkgirl was quiet yet very observing of things. Kendra took in Dinah's fair coloring, light eyes, and strong jaw and started to wonder. "Does Ollie know you're Carolyn's daughter?"

Dinah was the only one to notice J'onn suddenly shift at the turn the conversation had taken. "Who?"

"Oliver Queen," J'onn answered mildly. "He is of the few you met when you first arrived. He has been out on assignment with Kal-El this past week, but will be due back shortly. He was a close acquaintance of your mother's many years ago."

Strangely enough, Dinah was having difficulty reading people, and suddenly felt lightheaded. She blinked a couple of times and reached for the edge of the table as the room spun slowly. "Whoa! Hey there, you okay Dinah?" Wally asked, being the closest to her and moving to steady her.

"Yeah...it's just been a really long day I guess, and maybe testing that device was a little much for me."

Diana was on her feet after a look from J'onn and was helping Dinah from her chair. "Let's get you into bed for the night young lady."

As soon as they were out of the room Kendra turned on J'onn. "You did that on purpose didn't you? How can you do that to her when she's just been through so much?"

"Dinah is still learning control Kendra, all of your thoughts are like an open book to her right now and your line of deduction could have led to an...awkward situation."

"Oh my god," Kendra gasped. "He really is her father isn't he?"

"Yes, he is. But I had to respect Carolyn's wishes that he not know until it became absolutely necessary. She did not wish to endanger her daughter by having her associated with members of the League. Given the path that Dinah has chosen for herself however, there is no need to keep such secrets from either of them. However, even you can see that she has been in a delicate state of mind emotionally as of late. I did not think this was the appropriate time or place for her to find out who her father was," J'onn answered stiffly.

Kendra backed down immediately. "You're right. I wasn't thinking about that and I'm sorry. But surely you realize that trying to keep this a secret from them both won't last for much longer?"

"I have spoken with Kal and Diana about this matter as they have been helping me keep both parties distracted. Tomorrow, I will be sitting down with them to explain things. I think we should all be supportive of how volatile and...emotional things might be for them over the coming days and offer our support in any way we can."

"Of course," Kendra said with a firm nod.

"If you will excuse me, I should make sure she is resting okay."

Oliver Queen stood in the locker room of the Watchtower and began stripping off his gear. "So you want to finally tell me what this whole little mission was really about?" he asked his friend finally.

Clark looked over at him, trying to look innocent. "What do you mean Ollie?"

"Seriously, Clark. You are so lousy at hiding things why do you try?" Ollie chuckled. "Now fess up. Why did you drag me out on a training mission when it's common knowledge that I'm the least likely person to be breaking these kids in."

Clark hesitated and then shook his head. "J'onn asked me to take you Oliver," he admitted.

"Why would he do that?"

"It's not really for me to say my friend, but you know he would never ask of such a thing unless he felt it was important. And he will be explaining everything to you soon, so I think you should save your questions for him, because not even I know the whole story," Clark added, cutting of any questions Oliver had for him.

"This have anything to do with that girl he brought back?"

"It does," Clark answered truthfully. "He needed me to get all of the initiates off the station and he asked me to take you specifically. Like I said, he'll explain everything soon. Now let's get cleaned up and see if Wally left us any food."

Trusting that Clark was telling the truth and J'onn would explain what the hell was going on soon, Oliver let he matter rest for the time being. He laughed at Clark's hopeful comment. "Wishful thinking boy scout. You'll probably be zipping down to Earth for take-out."

"At least I have heat vision to keep it warm."

"Yeah, yeah, show-off. I get to pick tonight because I am not eating any more of that healthy wholesome stuff you're always getting."

Two hours later, J'onn answered the quiet knock on his door, expecting the visit from the tall blond man now in front of him. Stepping out into the hall, J'onn motioned for for Oliver to follow him as they headed towards the quiet of the observation room. At this hour, it would be empty and allow them some privacy.

"I hear your mission went well Oliver. My commendations to you for doing an outstanding job in a task that is not normally your strong suit."

"Yes, well it seems I didn't have much of a choice now did I?" Oliver said with a raised eyebrow.

"Clark's right, I know you'd never do anything like that unless you had a good reason. But I'd really like to hear why you wanted me off station right after you brought that girl up here."

"Oliver, do you know who she is or anything surrounding why she was brought up here?"

The Green Arrow shook his head. "From the brief look of things, I'm assuming she must have some pretty strong psychic talents and that things might have gotten a bit out of hand for you to suddenly bring her up here with little warning. She looked pretty frazzled. But I have no idea who she is. Should I?"

"Oliver, I know you were not aware of this fact, and I wasn't in agreement with her choice to keep this secret from you, but I had to abide by her wishes. Carolyn had a child- a daughter many years ago- and gave her up for adoption because she had no desire to see any threat or harm come to her child. The young woman I brought up here last week is Dinah Lance, Carolyn's daughter."

Oliver felt like he'd been sucker punched. "She had a kid and never said anything? Who's the father?"

J'onn paused long enough for Oliver to realize he needed to brace himself. "You are, Oliver. Dinah is your daughter," J'onn told him quietly.

Oliver sank onto a nearby seat and stared blankly at the floor. "Oh my god," he whispered in shock. "I have a kid and she never told me?" The anger finally kicked in. "How could she keep something like this from me?! Where has Dinah been all this time?"

"She left Dinah into the care of a family she felt would care for Dinah and keep her safe. But Dinah came under the care of Barbara Gordon almost two years ago. She has done an admirable job training and guiding Dinah through some difficult times in her life, but Dinah's talents far surpass her mother's and she needed...special help from me. But the girl has just been through an emotionally traumatic year, culminating with a brutal attack on her family from Harley Quinn. When Barbara asked for my help I felt it was necessary to give her a chance to rest and heal before being subjected to another emotional shock."

"Does she know who I am?"

"No. Dinah knew very little about her own mother, and knew absolutely nothing about her father. I was the only one who knew, but Kendra was quick to see the resemblance at dinner tonight. It was a topic I had to quickly divert away from, because I felt it was only fair for you to go to Dinah and tell her who you are."

"I have a kid," Oliver said again, resuming his floor staring. After a few minutes he looked back up at J'onn. "Do you think she'll even want me in her life? I mean, what kind of man will she think I am for not being there her whole life. Hell, I didn't even know I got Carolyn pregnant! How could she hide this from me?"

"Again, I understood her reasons, but I did not agree with them. But the decision was hers alone to make and there was nothing I could do to persuade her to think otherwise."

Oliver sighed heavily. "I can't even begin to imagine the silent burdens you carry on all our behalf, my friend."

"It is a burden your own daughter carries as well, Oliver. She has psychic abilities as powerful as my own...perhaps even surpassing mine. And I do not think you will have to fear rejection of her love for you. She has been witness to the rift and regret between Helena and her own father, Dinah has sworn to herself that should she ever learn of her father's identity, though she has not held much hope for that with the passing of her mother, she would harbor no resentment towards him."

"I want to see her J'onn."

"Today was a tiring day for her Oliver and she is sleeping soundly now. Allow Dinah her rest for the night, and I will see to it that she rises early and will call you as soon as she has finished her breakfast."

"Okay. So the others know about this?"

"They didn't until Kendra started putting the pieces together at dinner this evening. But you have everyone's full support in this matter my friend. Never doubt that."

"Thanks J'onn. I....wow....I still can't believe I'm a father."

"I'm sure the concept will take some adjusting to for both of you, I will inform Barbara Gordon of the developments, but I should warn you that Dinah is a firm fixture of Barbara and Helena's life now and none of the three of them will give that up. Carolyn went to New Gotham to reclaim her daughter, not to fight the mob. While Barbara initially backed down in the face of Carolyn's maternal rights, however undeserved they may have been by that time, Dinah had dug her heels in and was not going to let her mother take her from the family she had made for herself with Barbara and Helena."

"I think that Dinah is obviously old enough to make decisions like that on her own. Caroyln was always pig-headed when it came to some things and she was a fool to try and force Dinah to come with her after not being around all those years. I just want to get to know my daughter, J'onn. Who she chooses to live with and what she chooses to do with her life if her decision, not mine. But I would like to spend time with her...see the life she's made for herself. And it would be good to see Barbara again."

"I'm sure our former comrade would enjoy your company as well Oliver. Go and rest on what you've learned and prepare yourself for tomorrow. The others will be busying themselves so that the two of you can have some privacy tomorrow."

"Thank you J'onn."

The Martian moved to leave Oliver in some peace to think everything over when Oliver called out to him before he exited. J'onn paused at the door as Oliver stood. "Actually, I'd like to be the one to speak with Barbara. I'm sure she's going to want to be kept in the loop as to what's going on up here and I think maybe it would be best if she and I dealt with this together. She knows Dinah better than almost anyone else right?"

"Indeed she does, and I think she would greatly appreciate your approach to this matter. I believe it is still early enough in New Gotham for you to reach her."

"I was thinking maybe we should talk about this face-to-face," Oliver said shaking his head.

J'onn hesitated. "Perhaps you should call ahead to make sure a visit would be welcome. They have all been through a great deal recently and Huntress is healing from critical injuries. They may not receive visitors well right now."

"Oh," Oliver said, as unaware of recent events in New Gotham as the rest were. "Okay, I guess I'll call then. I take it you have a means of contacting her?"

J'onn nodded. "Barbara tests a number of high tech computers for Wayne Industries in her spare time. Just type in her name and the computer will pull up the connection for you. Please send her my greetings and assure her that things are going well with Dinah. She may even be able to return home for a short visit within the next week."

"I suppose you are going to leave it to Dinah or Barbara to tell me exactly what's been going on?"

"I feel that the story is theirs to tell Oliver. I am merely Dinah's mentor and protector right now."

"Protector? From what?"

"From herself Oliver," J'onn answered with a hint of sadness.

"Jesus," the blonde haired man whispered, realizing that whatever Dinah had gotten herself into, it had taken a heavy toll on her. "I guess I'm going to be owing you a huge debt of gratitude for helping my daughter out when this is all over with huh?"

"Dinah is the daughter of two very dear friends who have saved my own life on more than one occasion. I do this out of gratitude to you and Carolyn for all that you have both done for me in the past. It is what friends do."

Oliver strode across the room and said nothing as he simply set a hand on J'onn shoulder for a brief moment, knowing that the Martian could clearly read what he was feeling at that moment. Then the Green Arrow squared his shoulders and prepared to speak with an old friend.

Helena sighed as Barbara shifted next to her on the couch where they'd been relaxing for the past hour. "Can't you just ignore it? I mean it's not like I can just hop off the balcony and go bust up a mugging or something anymore." the brunette winced slightly at the hurt and resentment in her voice.

Barbara ignored it, knowing all too well the raw emotions that Helena was having to cope with. "I have the Delphi police monitoring turned off Hel. The only thing I have running right now are debugging programs and the communications system. It's a call from the Watchtower."

"Oh," Helena said, quickly sitting up straighter so that Barbara could maneuver off the couch better. Barbara made the smooth transfer and was up the ramp a few moments later slipping her glasses on as Helena carefully made her way to the edge of the ramp and leaned against the railing.

Barbara typed in a command and then rapidly typed in a few more to reduce the image being projected on her end when Oliver Queen's face came up and not J'onn's. "Oliver!" Barbara greeted, rolling back a bit to block the view of any extra equipment still within the picture. "This is a pleasant surprise...I hope," she added warily.

Helena's head was cocked to the side. "Oliver?" she muttered confused.

Oliver was smiling openly and he chuckled. "Relax Barbara, Dinah is doing fine. J'onn sends his regards and says Dinah might be ready for a field trip home possibly within a week. I have no idea what is really going on to be honest. But something has come up that I think you and I should speak about, and I was hoping to come visit you. J'onn said that Huntress was hurt pretty badly though and that I should call first." Here Olivers face creased with worry. "Barbara is everything okay with you ladies? What on Earth happened and is everyone going to be alright?"

Barbara sighed heavily her eyes sliding in Helena's direction for a moment. "I think with time we will be okay Oliver. As for what happened? Well Quinn got the best of us even after she was locked up. The situation has been taken care of however and we are all recovering as best we can," Barbara answered evasively.

Oliver noted how vague the answer was and felt that there was a huge piece of the puzzle being hidden here. "I see. Well I realize this might be a bad time, but I really think we should talk in person about this matter."

"I suppose you could come by tomorrow-,"

"I need to see you tonight Barbara. It involves Dinah, and given her telepathic abilities I think it's important that you and I discuss this now."

"Oliver...what are you not telling me here?"

The blonde smirked at her for a moment. "I think I could be asking the same of you Barbara." The smile faded replaced by a serious expression. "Barbara, I just found out that I'm Dinah's father. Can I please come down so we can talk? I promise to keep this short and I also promise I'm not going to pull a Carolyn. But I want to be on the same page as you before I speak with Dinah in the morning. This really can't wait."

Helena had straightened the moment she'd heard Oliver's revelation and hadn't heard a sound from Barbara in the moments thereafter. She quickly moved up the ramp, blindly fumbling for her partner's shoulder.

"Red?" she whispered concerned, her sensitive hearing telling her that Barbara hadn't even taken a breath yet.

"Jesus Christ, Helena!" Oliver gasped as the battered looking young woman finally came into view. Unseeing eyes turned somewhat in the direction of the camera and he go a better look at the injuries that should have healed long ago for someone with her abilities. He'd never met the young meta-human, but he'd read her file and was well aware of her natural abilities. She'd obviously pushed her body well past it's capability to heal rapidly.

The exclamation seemed to break Barbara from her daze and she sucked in a deep breath and then smiled wryly as she patted Helena's hand. "It's okay. I should have known I guess. Oliver, have the computer lock onto the coordinates I'm sending to you now and we'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you Barbara."

The redhead killed the connection and rolled back a bit more as she stared at the blank screen for a minute. "So...you really think he's her dad?" Helena finally asked.

"Oliver and Carolyn had a long standing on and off again relationship for many years. I think in the back of my mind I always knew once I found out who Dinah's birth mother was. But I never wanted to pry and well...." Barbara's sentence faded off.

"After seeing how well I reacted to such news you were afraid to have Dinah go through the same thing?" Helena ventured perceptively.

"Perhaps," Barbara admitted.

"So we heading to the Manor or something?"

"No Hel. If he is her father, he no doubt wants to have a share in her life now This is a part of her life, and I trust Oliver to be discreet. Besides, for now, Oracle is offline until we figure out what we can and want to do. There's a very good chance that Oracle will be retiring as well."

Helena gripped Barbara's shoulder tightly. "No Red. Don't give up yet. There is still a lot of good that Oracle can do in this world. We'll discuss this when Dinah is home, and all of us are back to normal, but not now."

"I know," Barbara sighed, reaching up to thread her fingers with Helena's. "Now let's go down to meet Ollie. He should be here in a minute."

"He still have that silly looking blond goatee thing going?" Helena asked with a tiny snicker.

"Yes, and he still wears something green even though he's out of uniform," Barbara added with a chuckle.

"Well it's good to know some things will never change. At least it looks like I won't be having to fend of a distrustful parent this time. I was about ready to show Carolyn what cats did to canary's when they'd had enough."

Barbara suddenly had a ridiculous image in her head of two cartoon animals going at it with Helena's and Carolyn's heads super-imposed over the image. It had her laughing for a few moments, leaving Helena to stand there with an arched eyebrow, and a satisfied smirk.

It was a rare thing for any of them to laugh lately, but it was becoming a little easier each day and Helena counted every single laugh a silent victory. Suddenly a low hum filled the Clocktower and both women turned to face their visitor, the mood instantly growing serious once more. How would Oliver handle everything? And would he stick to his word and not try to take Dinah away from them?

One thought alone kept the majority of Helena's nervousness at bay: As if anyone could make Dinah do anything against her wishes now.


	16. Same Page

Thanks again for everyone's feedback, and to Darkpheonix for being my beta. Hope you continue to enjoy this!

First chapter can be found here:

Same Page

Oliver Queen found himself speechless for several long moments after transporting to Barbara's home. The evening had already been filled with enough surprises, but the sight of the lovely redhead in person, sitting next to her battered ward, and amongst a massive and complex computer network pushed him over the edge for a few moments.

Barbara finally smiled warmly at him, drawing him out of his shock. "Oliver it is so good to see you again."

Remembering his social skills, Oliver smiled back at her and approached swiftly to hug his old friend. "And you! My god, you have become even more beautiful and stunning over the years," he grinned, looking her over carefully. Gone was the brash and defiant young woman that had always been trying to live up to her mentor's image.

Oliver had always thought Barbara was attractive, but now she was downright gorgeous. Her body had matured completely, and she had an air of confidence and authority about her that she had never fully grasped in her days as Batgirl. Granted, she looked sad and tired, having obviously been through recent trauma, but her eyes were still sharp and calculated everything.

She blushed slightly at his compliment, and then her eyebrows rose slightly at the sub-vocal growl from Helena. The brunette, obviously surprised by her own reaction, tried to cover the small growl with a cough. Oliver found that amusing, and flashed a quick look between the two women, noting how close Helena was hovering over Barbara, her hand casually resting on the older woman's shoulder.

With an inward smile, Oliver addressed the brunette as well. "Helena Kyle, it is finally a pleasure to meet you. You are every bit as lovely as your mother was, and you have been doing an amazing job here in New Gotham."

"Um...thanks," she responded, caught a little off guard by his genuine remarks and charming personality. "Although I hear bruises and scrapes really aren't this year's fashions," she added with a hint of her old smirk.

Oliver chuckled. "Yes, but then you don't strike me as the kind of person to care too much what everyone else says or thinks."

"Two minutes and he already has you pegged," Barbara laughed.

"And you! Don't even give me some bullshit that all this fancy techware is part of your 'testing' side jobs. You were a good hack back when all you had was that computer in college. I can't even begin to think what you could do now," Oliver said, narrowing his eyes playfully at the redhead.

"Take over the world," Helena answered smugly for her.

"You're Oracle aren't you?"

Barbara blushed a little again and held her hands open. "Guilty as charged," she admitted quietly.

"I knew you wouldn't just stay out of the life. I mean I knew you helped to train Helena here, but I didn't think you could just let it all go at that. You were way too passionate. I'm glad to see that amazing mind of yours is still being put to some very good use. And thank you very much for all of your assistance over these last few years."

"You're welcome Oliver. Shall we make ourselves comfortable? I'm afraid Alfred has already left for the evening, but I can make us coffee or tea if you want."

"Actually, do you have a beer?"

"And that would be my que, being the bartender and all here," Helena said as she slipped her cane out of her pocket, let it unfold and began making her way to the kitchen.

Oliver watched her go, his eyes troubled as he took in the true extent of Helena's injuries. He looked over at Barbara, who merely gave him a sad smile and then gestured towards the living area and the couches there. He decided to hold his tongue until they were all relaxed.

Helena came back a few minutes later, her natural grace and years of bartending allowing her to balance a tray of beverages in one hand while she negotiated a careful path towards the living room. The brunette allowed Barbara to take the tray from her hand and settle it on the coffee table. She'd brought a couple of beers for Oliver and herself, and a small tumbler of scotch for Barbara.

The redhead raised an eyebrow at the drink poured for her and Helena seemed to sense it and shrugged. "Trust me Red, this sounded like we might need a drink or two," Helena told her.

Once they were all settled, Oliver decided to find out about them first. Over the course of the next two hours, the two women filled him in on what had been going on in their lives over the last few years, a few of their defining moments in life, and Dinah's arrival and induction into their family. Then they proceeded to explain everything that led up to Quinn's seizure of the Clocktower, and their subsequent emotional turmoil thereafter.

"Were you blinded in the fight then?" Oliver asked gently, slightly confused still about how the brunette had lost her sight.

"No," was all Helena answered, unwilling to go that much into her emotional downfall with this man whom she'd just met.

"Helena found out the hard way shortly after the fight that cats don't always land on their feet. Her injuries are the result from a fall that was too high for even her to stick, and it pushed her body beyond her meta-healing abilities. Even now, over a month later, they are still trying to re-assert themselves," Barbara supplied.

"Some of these look pretty fresh though. You're not out on the streets again are you?"

Barbara felt Helena begin to bristle and quickly stepped in. "Actually, she and Dinah got into an ugly brawl one day while I was out," she explained and then she told him about Dinah's mental deterioration culminating with her break-in to Arkham and her actions against Quinn.

Oliver sat in silence for several minutes, absorbing everything he was being told about his daughter. His immediate response was anger. Anger that she had come to New Gotham, that Barbara had allowed her to stay and that she had even let Dinah go out there and be exposed to the criminal underworld at such a young age.

But just as quickly as the anger had flashed across his mind, he let it go. Dinah was a young woman now and had chosen this life for herself at an age that was far older than even a few of the other men and women he'd trained and fought along side of over the years. She was also extremely gifted, even more-so than her mother, and it was apparent that she would have been drawn to this life no matter what anyone could or would have said. Carolyn was a fool for thinking she could just collect her daughter and stash her away somewhere safely away from the fight. Dinah would have never stood for that.

Then he felt a sense of pride over the good and brave choices she had made in her life. His daughter had one of the most powerful minds on the planet it seemed, and while she'd stumbled a bit along the way, as any fledgling teen might when trying to control their new-found powers, she'd made the decision to use her powers for the good of humanity. It saddened him that she'd been through so much because of her recently unlocked potential, but he knew that she was in good hands with J'onn and that his old friend would look closely after his daughter.

Finally, he felt a flood of relief and gratitude that Dinah had such two loving people to look after her. Barbara had always had a warm heart and a kind smile. It had surprised no one that she'd wanted to pursue a teaching profession as a day job, for she had the perfect demeanor for such a difficult task. Helena was a surprise though. Her reputation had proceeded her amongst the League. Everyone knew to stay out of New Gotham, just as they had done when Batman had been Gotham's original protector. She was a lone wolf, and from what little anyone had gathered over the years, tolerated Barbara Gordon alone. She had nothing to do with her father, and had steadfastly remained out of the spotlight.

Barbara had earlier teased the brunette about her seemingly unhappy attitude about Dinah joining their team in the beginning, and the many complaints that Helena had about having a junior sidekick tag along. Helena had only grumbled good-naturedly a few remarks about having to endure batarang practices and unfair telekinetic attacks. It was apparent that the sunny teen had quickly broken down even Helena's tough defenses and had endeared herself quickly to these two women.

It was Helena of all people that had been able to break through to the teen to stop her from doing something she would probably never come back from. And for that, Oliver would be eternally indebted to the brunette.

"First of all, I want to say that I think Carolyn was an idiot for trying to take Dinah from you," he told them sincerely. "She always did have a habit of going off and doing things half-cocked when her emotions were involved," he said sadly. "She didn't take the time to see that Dinah has a good home and family here with you two and Alfred, and I wouldn't dream of trying to upset that. Besides, Dinah is more than old enough to make decisions like that for herself. I seriously doubt anyone could drag her anywhere that she didn't want to go," he chuckled.

He watched as the two women relaxed visibly and continued. "I'm also not going to tell you that I don't want her in the Life. I honestly don't think it would be possible for someone with her powers to avoid using them, and I would much rather see her out there using them for good than being on the other side of the fence. And Helena? Words will never express just how much gratitude I have for you for bringing her back from the edge before it was too late," he said, pouring every ounce emotion into his tone, knowing she couldn't see the truth in his eyes.

Helena blushed, a bit self conscious with the sincere words. "The kid would have done the same for me. She's like my kid sister and I couldn't let that bitch take her from me. I would lay down my life in a heartbeat to keep Dinah safe," she told him quietly.

Oliver didn't doubt the truth in those words and reached over to squeeze the brunette's hand briefly to let her know he believed her.

"Apparently, J'onn has kept Dinah secluded from most everyone until this evening. But at dinner, Kendra put two and two together, and nearly spilled the beans as it were, given Dinah's telepathic abilities. J'onn was able to divert the situation, but I'm going to have to talk with her in the morning, before she picks up on what's on everyone's mind up there now. I guess all I want is a chance to get to know my daughter."

He was a bit surprised when the brunette suddenly stood up and made a hasty and somewhat clumsy retreat, claiming the sudden need to use the restroom. Oliver frowned, seeing the obvious pain in suddenly violet eyes, before Helena left. Looking at Barbara, he watched as the redhead waited until her younger partner was well out of earshot before speaking.

"Helena is still trying to reconcile her own situation with her father. Bruce's...disappearance hurt her deeply and has generated the large animosity she's had for him and anything to do with him. The fact that he was a legendary superhero made it all the worse," Barbara sighed, looking at her lap. In truth, even she had never forgiven Bruce for his disappearance either, and that was part of the reason why she'd asked him to leave. With everything that was going on, she just couldn't deal with Helena's emotions and her own right now.

Oliver completely understood. "I could never understand how someone could just leave everyone he cared about like that. Especially in the condition you and Helena were," he added a bit of his own latent anger surfacing. Then he shook his head, and sighed. "I don't think what Bruce did was right, but then I'm not him. I have no idea what he was going through, and for someone like Bruce to just quit and disappear, the guilt and failure he must have been feeling would have probably driven lesser men to take their own lives. We were all angry with him for leaving like he did, but Kal and Diana were quick to remind us that it wasn't our place to judge. We just wish that so many people hadn't been hurt in the process."

Barbara nodded, finally raising her gaze, since she'd managed to calm her emotions. "He came back briefly, when Helena was initially injured. I asked him to leave for the time being while she heals. But I know that deep down, all she wants is to get to know her father, like any normal child would, and I told him as much."

Olvier chuckled at the firey look in her eyes. "I think you did a little more than 'tell' him."

She smirked a tiny bit. "There may have been a few swear words and occasionally raised voices," she allowed. But her face went serious once more. "Oliver, I think it's wonderful that you want to be a part of Dinah's life. I hope that your talk with Dinah goes well tomorrow, and I want you to know that Helena and I are behind you- even if Hel might seem a bit distant. You just have to realize that if things do go well for you and Dinah, Helena might be a bit stand-offish for awhile. Please know it has nothing to do with you."

"I understand completely," he told her. "And I will try to take her feelings into consideration if Dinah and I do hit it off and she wants to get to know me too." The blonde paused for a minute and then looked at his old friend with some trepidation. "Do you....do you think she'll even want anything to do with me? I mean....I haven't been around her whole life and-"

"Oliver, you had no idea...just as I didn't. Okay, maybe I had my suspicions after Carolyn showed up on my doorstep," she admitted with a small grin. "But Dinah is a very caring young woman, despite everything she's been through. She has always longed to be a part of a family that can love her for who she is. If her newfound father can accept her despite everything she can do, and love her unconditionally, I don't see why she would have any reason not to want to be a part of his life too."

Comforted and strengthened by Barbara's words, Oliver felt he'd accomplished what he'd come here to do. Standing, the older man walked over to the redhead and leaned down to hug her once more. "God I've missed you Babs. At the very least, this will give me a chance to see you more often again. Thank you for everything."

"It's good to see you too Oliver. I didn't realize how much I've missed everyone ever since..." she trailed off waving at her unfeeling legs and the chair. "But being Oracle has kept me busy and the need for anonymity has forced me to remain reclusive. It's kind of nice to have a few more old friends in on the secret though."

"Oracle has been quiet lately," Oliver observed. "Any chance she might be returning soon? I've got a case or two that could use some good hack work."

Barbara gave him another sad smile. "For now, Oracle is offline Ollie. I have to take care of my family first, and then when we get things straightened out, we'll see where things go from here."

He nodded in appreciation. Such a decision was obviously not made lightly. "I understand Babs. Well I should let you get some rest, I've kept you ladies up late enough. And I have a big morning ahead of me."

"Will you contact me as soon as you're done talking with her?" Barbara requested.

"Of course." He looked back in the direction that the brunette had headed off to. "Please give Helena my regards. I hope things work out for her...she's a good kid."

Barbara's fond smile told him all he needed to know. "She's turned out to be quite an exceptional woman...just like her mother was. I'll call you tomorrow Barbara, and no matter how it turns out, just know that I will respect Dinah's wishes, but I do intend on keeping in better touch with you."

"I'd like that Ollie. Good luck tomorrow."

Oliver gave her a hopeful smile and then signalled the Watchtower that he was ready to return. With a hum and a small flash of light, he was gone, leaving Barbara to sit for a few minutes in silence and think over the revelations of the last couple of hours.

Then she went in search of her partner. She found Helena in the first place she looked, lounging on the back of her favorite gargoyle, her face clearly showing the emotions that were obviously warring within her. Without a word, Barbara just wheeled over to her and slipped her hand into the delicate one that dangeled of the side of the gargoyle.

"You ok with all of this?" she asked after awhile.

"Yeah," Helena sighed finally. "This is way different than Carolyn coming here trying to take the kid from us. He genuinely wants to be a part of her life now that he knows, and he's okay with still letting Dinah be her own person and make her own decisions. It's cool."

"Hel....I know this is going to be rough on you."

"I'll be okay Barbara. Who knows....maybe if things work out for them, I could learn a few pointers from the kid right?" Helena said, trying to sound hopeful even if she was failing at it.

"And I will always be here to support you no matter what Helena."

That finally earned the redhead a soft smile. "Yeah....I'm finally beginning to get that through my thick skull."

Barbara chuckled quietly as she stretched up to brush some hair away from the fading bruises along Helena's face. "Not so thick anymore I think." Then she smirked a bit. "So you want to tell me what the growling was all about?" she asked.

Even in the faint moonlight she saw the brunette blush as she sat up and ducked her head in embarresment. "I...it's just Queen has a rep, and I didn't like that right off the bat he was putting the smooth moves on you."

"Oh really?" Barbara asked, her eyebrow arching in curiosity.

"Yeah...well...for all he knew you could be in a relationship. I mean...if everything hadn't happened with Quinn..." Helena faltered, shifting awkwardly.

Barbara smiled sadly. "Perhaps."

This caught Helena's attention. "Perhaps?"

"To be honest Hel, I really wasn't sure that I wanted to keep things going with Wade. He was sweet, but...well I don't think it would have worked out for us. And his parents were most certainly not for us being together," she added with a sigh.

"His parents can go fuck themselves," the brunette growled out suddenly. The harshness of the tone shocked the older woman a bit.

"Helena! They just lost their son," she reminded her partner.

She watched as a contrite expression flitted across gamine features. "Sorry...it's just you have no idea how mad I was when you told me about that conversation. It took everything I had not to go over there and tell those people just how amazing of a person you were and that if anything, I didn't think _their_ son was good enough for _you_." Helena's head ducked once more, her blush deepening. "But you seemed happy with him and I didn't want to ruin that."

Barbara was surprised by the emotional admission, but chuckled warmly. "I had no idea you felt that way sweetheart. But I do thank you for your restraint and your thoughtfulness. However had you told them that, I probably would have only been mad at you for doing it when I couldn't see their expressions though," she admitted with wicked grin.

Even white teeth flashed at her then, and the two laughed at the thought. "So you really were serious about breaking up with him then? And not just because of our secret identities?" Helena asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

"Yes, I was. Which was probably why I took his death so hard," Barbara admitted quietly. "I felt so guilty, because an innocent man that I didn't even really love, had died for no reason that night other than he was here because of me. I just didn't know how to deal with it, and I'm sorry I took it out on you like I did."

Helena slid down onto her knees in front of Barbara, and searched out the redhead's hands. "I deserved that anger Barbara, but I've thought a lot about what you said the other night. And I don't want to give up on us either. I don't want to let them win. I'll do whatever it takes to keep us together too."

Barbara smiled contentedly. Over the last few days, she and Helena had started to finally mend the rift that had grown in their friendship. They'd spent hours talking to each other, opening up about their fears and insecurities as they had done all those years ago. It was something she'd missed immensely over the last couple of years. She was glad to hear that some of Hel's old stubborn spirit was coming back in defense of their family.

"I've missed this," she breathed, squeezing the brunette's hand.

"This?"

"Just the two of us, talking to each other again...trusting each other and opening up."

Helena smiled faintly. "Yeah...we used to talk for hours out here didn't we?"

"Until you moved out. Why did you move out Hel?"

The brunette chuckled and shook her head slightly. "I think that's a discussion for another time Red," she said simply. "Besides, it's getting late and I've heard you yawn three times now in the past five minutes.

The older woman scowled briefly as Helena evaded her question. But she realized that a lot had already been said recently and that maybe it was best not to push things too much too soon. So with a grin, she agreed that it was time for them to turn in, and pulled the younger woman to her feet, but held onto her hands.

"All right, you win. But don't think I'm going to let this drop. Somehow we've let this huge gap form in our friendship, and I intend on fixing that. You mean too much for me to let this go on any longer," she said as she tugged Hel down to kiss her forhead.

Helena gasped, her eyes going feral and then blinking rapidly. Barbara pulled back, thinking at first she'd inadvertantly brushed a bruised area, but upon seeing the tears and the feral and seeing gaze in Helena's eyes, she realized differently. "Did it happen?" she whispered hopefully.

The beaming smile on the young woman's face was all the answer she needed. Barbara felt her heart jump and then her mind began to kick into overdrive. "Come on, let's get you to the med lab and run some scans," she said quickly.

Helena jerked upright and then raised an eyebrow at Barbara. "I can suddenly see again...well at least infrared, and your first words to me are lets go run some tests?" she teased.

Barbara swatted at her partner, grinning when the brunette was able to sidestep it. "I think you can see how much I'm smiling right now Helena, but I also know that this may not last long and Leslie has yet to have any data on what might be going on in that thick head of yours."

Helena followed Barbara inside. "I thought you just said a little while ago that it wasn't that thick?" she mock pouted.

"Perhaps," Barbara drawled, feeling a sense of happiness flood her at the brief return of their old bantering.

"Perhaps?" Helena asked indignantly.

"Depends."

"On what?"

Barbara hesitated for a moment as she reached the doors to the med-lab and peered back over at the younger woman. She debated for a moment to push things just one more time and decided that her curiosity was going to get the better of her. So drawing a deep breath she asked.

"On whether or not you are going to tell me what kind of emotional response triggered this."


	17. Haven

Dinah was sure that a seal had broken on the station. It was the only logical reason she could come up with for all the oxygen suddenly being sucked out of the room.

"Breathe, Dinah," J'onn encouraged gently.

Dinah's eyes slowly tracked from the blond man in front of her to the Martian standing a little ways behind him. His command didn't register for another few long seconds before she finally sucked in a reflexive breath and sank heavily into the chair she had just stood from.

The man shifted forward, concern on his face as he reached out to steady her. She was suddenly hit with his emotions and Dinah winced, realizing J'onn had been the reason she couldn't read him when he'd come in just moments before with the Martian. The man...Oliver was his name....halted his forward progress, and she could see and sense the hesitation and sudden fear of rejection.

Closing her eyes, Dinah gestured that she needed a moment to process everything and pinched the bridge of her nose in a very Barbara-like fashion as she took a deep breath, counted to ten and slowly let it out. She repeated the process a few more times, and both men remained silent allowing her a minute to adjust. When Dinah finally opened her eyes, she felt reasonably calmer.

The teen narrowed her eyes at J'onn for a moment, letting him know she wasn't happy about being broadsided by this, but then silently requested that she give her and...her dad some time alone. J'onn nodded and quietly left. Dinah finally looked at the man that had just told her he was her long lost father and studied him carefully for a few moments.

The similarities were most definitely hard to ignore. They both had fair hair and skin, but then so had her mother. But it had been clear that Dinah had inherited her strong jaw and proud chin from her father, since her mother's facial features were much more delicate. And Dinah's eyes were almost a perfect match for this man's.

But what convinced her completely was what she 'read' from him. Clearing her throat, she finally managed to speak. "So....um...you just found out too huh?"

He managed a weak and nervous smile. "Yeah. J'onn managed to talk Clark into getting rid of me for awhile so he could work with you before he sprung this on both of us."

"So...you had no idea?" she asked, unable to squash all of the hurt from her voice.

He settled into a chair across from Dinah and sighed heavily, shaking his head. "Your mother and I had a rocky relationship at best. A lot of that was my fault," he admitted with more than a touch of shame. "But I loved your mother a great deal, and I would always come back to her...and despite everything I'd done to hurt her, she'd always forgive me. I didn't deserve her," he said sadly.

"Then one day, I came back to the apartment after a mission, and she was gone," he explained.

Dinah had of course read most of this by now, but she could sense his need to talk about it and didn't interrupt, as she tried to set her own shields back up to give him a measure of privacy. She really didn't need to know everything about her parents relationship.

"She left me some hasty note that she'd been doing some thinking and she had different priorities in her life. That she knew we could never work out and that she didn't think she could take being hurt again. I just accepted it for what it was. I had no idea that the reason she left was because she was pregnant with you. J'onn was the only one who knew and that was just because he had read it on her once."

"Did you ever see her again after that?"

"It was about two years actually. No one saw her for awhile, but we all assumed she was just on another deep under cover operation. When she resurfaced again, no one got many details, and we never pried much into Carolyn's cases. I worked with her a few dozen times here and there over the years on various missions with the League. But she was different around me even though I tried to go on as normal. I really did go out of my way to not make her feel bad about her choice...after all I had figured it was my fault and I deserved to be dumped like that. I certainly had it coming," he admitted frankly.

"I didn't want your mother to feel like I despised her for her decision. I wanted her to be happy, and I tried to tell her that. But she just shut me completely out of her life, and I could never understand why. I finally just had to let it go...although I never stopped caring for her. When I heard about what happened in New Gotham," he paused and cleared his throat. "Yeah...that was pretty rough," he admitted.

Dinah looked down at her lap, tears in her eyes. "I wish for so many things about that night," she whispered. "That she hadn't tried to take me away. That I hadn't over-reacted and said what I did to her. That she'd never been captured. That I had been stronger back then and could have saved her," Dinah's voice broke as a sob caught in her chest.

Her father was at her side in a moment, gently taking her hands into his. She looked up into his eyes, seeing nothing but relief and love in them. "I wish there was some way we could go back and make this all right again Dinah. I wish that your mother hadn't been so afraid, that she gave you up. I wish that she had at least told me so that I could have kept an eye on you...maybe even get to know you as you grew up. I wish you hadn't been left to grow up alone, wondering what was wrong with you when you had such a remarkable gift. I wish that your few moments with your mother had been strained and you and that you had been given the chance to really know who she was. But most of all, I wish you didn't have to bare the weight of the world on your shoulders, and feel so much guilt at such a young age.

"Dinah, I know this is a lot to take in," he said gently as he reached up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "But I want you to know that I don't plan on trying to take you from your family and your life. I want you to be happy with where and who you are. All I want is to be able to get to know my daughter better. To be able to share who her mother truly was, and to be there for her when she needs me. I don't want to run your life Dinah, I just want to be a small part of it...if you'll let me."

The floodgates inside of her burst, and Dinah surged forward, her grip on Oliver's neck almost painfully tight. "Yes," she sobbed into his shoulder as she broke down completely.

Oliver Queen realized in that moment that he had finally found a woman strong enough to tame his wild heart. He had thought that after so many years in life and as a hero, he'd learned everything there was to know about himself. But Dinah helped him tap into a deep part of him that he'd never known existed. He finally understood the true responsibility and joy of being a parent. He regretted that it was something he'd been denied all these years...and that he'd missed a great deal of that responsibility. But there was nothing he could do about it, but make up for lost time and make each moment now with Dinah count.

He held her in his strong arms, and let her cry herself out. After awhile she finally sat back up and sniffled, smiling a bit self-consciously. "That's the second time this week I've done that. Helena would be teasing me for be soft," she joked weakly.

Oliver smiled at her. "Only to draw attention away from her own state right now...which by the way is healing nicely," he added with a quirked eyebrow. "I don't know whether I should be impressed or upset by the damage done. From the looks of things, she worked you over pretty good too," he stated, nothing her own mostly faded bruises.

Dinah blushed. "Yeah...it was a really bad night for both of us," she admitted sheepishly.

"Listen Dinah," Oliver said growing serious once more. "I went down and talked with Barbara last night. I know about everything and she knows my intentions with you. She's fine with me hanging around if that was what you wanted and I meant what I said about not trying to run your life. But as your father, I'm suddenly feeling these instinctive urges to guide you and tell you what to do."

He paused for a moment and then shook his head and chuckled. "Which means that I'm probably going to be sidled with more training missions damn it," he said good naturedly, and Dinah giggled. "So I'm probably going to be throwing my oh-so-clever words of wisdom out there and probably annoy you from time to time. So let's say we make a promise to each other?"

"Ok."

"I will try to curb my desire to lecture and guide you, since I can see that Barbara is already doing an admirable job of that, and you will cut your old man some slack if he starts to go a little overboard. If I really start to overdo, I even give you permission to let me know."

"On one condition," Dinah said seriously.

"Oh?"

"You have to teach me to shoot," she said with a grin.

Oliver laughed heartily and he hugged her. "Sweetheart, I don't think you really need me for that, from what I hear! But I would be honored to teach you how to properly draw a bow."

"Helena is going to be so jealous when I get back."

Oliver's smile faltered a little. "About that," he began hesitantly. "I'm thinking you and I should probably keep our relationship a little low-key around the Clocktower for awhile. Give Helena some time to adjust."

Dinah's eyes widened. "Oh," she said blushing. "I didn't think about that."

"Neither did I. I had no idea that things were so hostile between her and her father. I hope that Bruce has the balls to come back some day and fix that, but for now I think it would be cruel to flaunt our relationship. Besides," he said growing very somber, "you could be a terrible shot and I'd be forced to disown you," he added with a wink and a grin.

Dinah's laughter was bright and full of life, and for the first time since she'd touched Quinn, she felt like a true kid again.

"So everything went well?" Barbara asked hopefully.

"See for yourself Babs," Ollie said as he stepped aside and a smiling Dinah moved into view.

"Dinah!" Barbara gasped, her eyes tearing at the joy she saw in those soft blue eyes. It was something she had desperately missed these past few months.

"Hey Barbara."

"Is that the kid?" Helena asked from the couch.

"Hey Hel!" Dinah said louder, and then grinned as she heard the brunette swear as she tried to rush up the platform without the aid of her cane. When Helena finally showed up, Dinah winced a bit. "Oh damn," she breathed.

"Wow," Helena said wryly. "I must really look like shit, because everyone says that as soon as they get a look at my face. I swear if you made my nose crooked though kid I am gonna knock one of those perfect teeth out in revenge," she mock threatened.

"I'm really sorry-,"

"Don't sweat it kid. Some things were said that shouldn't have and others that needed to be. What matters is we cleared the air, you showed me I wasn't as helpless as I thought, and you so owe me for saving your ass again," Helena said with her trademark smirk.

"Yeah, yeah...gloat while you can. I am so going to own you from here on out," the blond teen shot back.

"You see what I have to put up with Oliver?" Barbara chuckled, not in the least bit put out by the bantering. "Sure you still want in on this parenting gig?"

Oliver settled his hands on Dinah's shoulders. "And miss the fireworks? People pay money to see this kind of stuff. Hell, they make reality TV shows based on girls like them." This earned him an indignant squeak from Dinah.

"Did he just compare us to Big Brother?" Helena asked, in mock offense as well.

Barbara just chuckled and smiled back at Oliver and Dinah. "It's good to see you smiling again sweetheart. How are you feeling?" she asked warmly.

"I'm feeling a lot better Barbara. It's much quieter up here, and J'onn's quarters are shielded from everyone. I've been able to finally get some sleep, and he's been helping me work on my shielding now that I can focus. It's getting a little easier each day, and now that I've been hanging out with the others, I'm able to have controlled practice with my lessons. Oh by the way...just so you know. That device that was created by-," Dinah paused before she got the name out as her eyes flicked towards Helena and Barbara nodded, understanding. "The one used to block J'onn's telepathic abilities, also works on me. Actually it's a little more debilitating. J'onn says it just blocks him but I feel like my brains are being scrambled."

"Well you know what that means, right?"

Dinah chuckled ruefully and looked back at her father. "Told you she'd want to hook me up and run a test."

Barbara just grinned and shook her head. "You know I just want to make sure everything is safe and you aren't being harmed by it. I'm glad you are feeling better though and that being up there with J'onn is helping. We look forward to you coming home for a visit. Alfred promised he would even make your favorite."

"I am SO going to visit soon. Not that these guys are bad cooks up here, but no one can beat Alfred's lasagna. Besides," her features softened a bit and she tucked her hair behind her ears. "I really miss being home with you guys."

"We miss you too kid," Helena said, her voice completely sincere. Then she smirked. "So get your brain in gear already and then get your ass back home. You owe me a new set of leathers and I need to go shopping."

"I'll be home in an hour," Dinah said seriously.

Everyone dissolved into laughter and Barbara reached out to brush her fingers along the girl's face on her screen. "We'll see you soon enough Dinah. Take care and you two try not to get into too much trouble."

"We won't. Oh and Hel?"

"Yeah D?"

"You do what I asked?" the blond asked cryptically.

Helena chuckled ruefully and shook her head. "Not yet Big D. Working up to it very soon though."

"Good. I'll see you guys soon. Love you!"

"Love you too sweetheart," Barbara returned waving at Dinah and Oliver as they ended the connection.

"She sounds really happy," Helena commented a minute later.

"She looks like herself again," Barbara told her. "She even did that shy, tuck her hair behind her ear thing too." The redhead let out a deep sigh of relief. "I was so afraid that sending her with J'onn wouldn't work. And then when Oliver showed up last night...."

"Yeah, I was a little worried about that too," Helena admitted. "I was hoping it wasn't going to be too much for her, but I'm glad that they hit it off."

"I think it will be good for both of them. So care to fill me in on what that last little remark from her was all about?" Barbara asked turning to face her younger partner.

Hel just grinned and shook her head. "Soon enough Red. What time is it?"

"About seven thirty why? You hungry?"

"You know me, I'm always hungry. But the sun is setting right?"

"Pretty soon, yes."

"Cool," was all the brunette said before she headed out onto the balcony leaving a very perplexed Barbara Gordon sitting alone at the Delphi. Five minutes later, she gave up trying to figure out what the younger woman was up to.

All that mattered was that their lives were finally returning to normal- well as normal as things could get for them. Dinah was getting back to her old self with each passing day, Helena was finally coping with her own personal struggles, and Barbara could finally feel herself begin to breath easier once again. The gloom that had been suffocating them all the last few month had finally lifted, leaving the Clocktower as it should be: their home...their haven.


End file.
